Chapter 347
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 347
Chapter 347. Solution (2)
Po Jeong-sa's question made his head spin for a moment.
He couldn't understand the intention behind the question.
During the investigation of this case, the Martial Alliance had been mentioned, so Po Jeong-sa must have had some doubts.
In that situation, what was his motive for asking me, someone who had been praised as a hero by the Martial Alliance?
Was it to determine his attitude toward the Martial Alliance?
Or was it to determine his attitude toward me?
I asked him.
“Are you interested in my opinion as a hero of the Martial Alliance? Or are you interested in my opinion as a merchant?”
“That's a stupid question.”
He muttered and continued.
“When I asked you before if you were a hero or a merchant, you said you were a merchant. People are honest when it comes to profit.”
“That's right.”
“So I'll ask again. What is your opinion as a merchant?”
“The Martial Alliance is...”
To be honest, I wanted to answer that the Martial Alliance was the worst of the worst, full of hypocrites and the most despicable and dirty people, and that they were my mortal enemies.
But if I said that without explanation, he would look at me strangely.
I smiled and replied.
“To be honest, they are not a very good business partner.”
“That's surprising. Isn't it one of your most reliable business partners?”
“Not really.”
“I thought they were the ones who made you a hero. Weren't you on friendly terms?”
“When someone is in danger, I can't just stand by and watch, can I? Moreover, my parents were there. If I hadn't stepped in, not only would many people have been killed and injured, but the Dragon and Phoenix Duel would have been canceled.”
“Huh...”
He nodded as if he understood my answer.
“Then I can ask you this.”
“What is it?”
“Is it true that the Martial Alliance tried to kill Ja-ryung?”
“...!”
I didn't expect him to ask so directly.
That meant he already knew about the Martial Alliance.
Despite his young age, he was capable enough to be entrusted with the administration of an entire city by the emperor.
In that case, it would be best to answer truthfully.
“Yes, it is.”
“What on earth is the purpose of this?”
It was because Miss Ja-ryung could see the future. However, I could not tell him that.
“I don't know the reason either.”
“Then they may target Ja-ryung again...”
“That's why I need you to discuss something with the Minister of Justice in Gijou Castle.”
“I understand. I will do as you say.”
He nodded and looked at me seriously.
"But I do believe you are a hero. Whether your parents were there or not, you didn't just stand by and watch people in danger. I think that's the heart of a hero."
For some reason, his words made my cheeks tingle.
.
.
.
We set off for Guizhou.
Since we were traveling with the Po Jung-sa of Hunan, we were able to travel comfortably and quickly.
Soon, we arrived at the Guizhou Provincial Office of the Imperial Secretariat.
The head of the Guizhou Provincial Office of the Imperial Secretariat came out to greet us.
“Welcome.”
“Thank you for welcoming us so warmly.”
“Thank you for coming all this way.”
We exchanged greetings and then he looked at Donghangsu Mister and me and praised us.
“Captain, you must have had a hard time.”
“Not at all.”
“And you too, you must have had a hard time.”
“Yes.”
A simple answer.
The Guizhou Province Po Jing-sa looked as if he expected it.
We went inside.
The Guizhou Province Po Jing-sa personally guided the Hunan Province Po Jing-sa to his quarters.
Now I should go in and rest.
I said to Master Donghangsu.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“No, it's nothing.”
He had been very cold toward me since the day he met Master Jin.
After all, as an official of the empire, he couldn't possibly treat someone who had the emperor's trust with ease.
No matter how unsociable he was, he knew who held his life in their hands.
“Go inside and rest.”
With that, he disappeared from my sight.
* * *
Donghangsu walked slowly and sighed.
“What will my brothers say when they find out?”
He had two older brothers and two younger brothers.
Due to his ambiguous position, he was pushed around by those above and below him, and in order to avoid being hurt, he unconsciously became cynical and unfriendly, which led to him becoming socially awkward.
However, he was affectionate toward his younger sister, Dong Ja-ryung, and loved her dearly.
That same sister had just been nearly poisoned by someone.
He was furious, but he didn't show it.
Just like he always did.
Then, he ended up going to Hunan with a man named Eun Seo-ho.
He didn't like Eun Seo-ho. It started with his sister asking him to give Eun Seo-ho her regards.
To be honest, he was grateful to Eun Seo-ho for telling him that Dongja-ryeong was suffering from withdrawal symptoms and recommending a physician who could help her, thereby saving her life.
However, being grateful was one thing, but disliking someone was another.
As he thought about why he disliked Eun Seo-ho, he realized the reason. The first reason seemed to be simple jealousy.
“I was so childish.”
Looking back, he felt ashamed.
The second reason was because Eun Seo-ho was a merchant.
To be honest, his father praised him highly, but he didn't like him.
“He's just a merchant.”
He told Eun Seo-ho that he was a judge in Giju City, but that wasn't true.
His real identity was a chief inspector of the Giju City Investigation Office.
A chief inspector was a mid-level official in charge of inspection.
Due to the special nature of his position, he was allowed to claim a different identity, which is why he told Eun Seo-ho that he was a merchant.
The reason he despised merchants was also because of his position.
When conducting inspections in the field, he received numerous requests, most of which were from merchants.
That was why he thought Eun Seo-ho was no different from those merchants.
However, this time, it seemed that he was wrong.
“Not only is he close to the Master of the Sword, but he is also someone whom His Majesty the Emperor seeks advice from!”
He had called him a lowly merchant, and he had thought to himself, “He knows his place.”
But that was not the case.
How could someone whom the emperor sought advice from be a lowly merchant?
“Damn it!”
Looking back, he felt ashamed of how he had treated Eun Seo-ho.
“I was too narrow-minded. I must go apologize to him properly later.”
He decided to apologize not only because he felt remorseful, but also for another reason.
He was worried that Eun Seo-ho might hold a grudge and harm his family.
Although he had been hurt many times because of his position as the third son, he still loved his family.
* * *
I was reading a book in my room in the official residence of the Seungseonpo Office in Giju.
“Is that interesting?”
Pal-gap asked, and I shook my head.
“No, it's not interesting.”
“Then why are you reading it so intently?”
“It's not interesting to me, but many people find it interesting. For example, my customers?”
“Isn't it difficult to read a book that isn't interesting?”
“Of course it is.”
“Nothing in this world is easy.”
I chuckled.
“Some things are easy.”
“What are they?”
“Work that suits your aptitude. That is the easiest work.”
I think I am able to do this because it suits my aptitude as a merchant.
As I was talking with Pal-gap, I sensed someone approaching my quarters.
This sound...
Soon, I heard the voice of Lee Pil, the warrior standing guard outside.
“Liege, Mister Donghangsu is here.”
What is it?
I tilted my head and opened the door to find Mister Donghangsu standing there looking at me.
“What is the matter?”
“Well... I have something important to tell you.”
“Come in.”
I invited him into my quarters.
Pal-gap brought tea, and we had a conversation while drinking tea.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to apologize for my rudeness.”
“...”
Honestly, if it were anyone else, they would have made small talk before getting to the point.
Seeing that he got straight to the point, I realized that he was also a remarkable person.
Honestly, I appreciated that he didn't waste time with useless talk.
But an apology?
He didn't seem like the type of person who would do that. Was he worried that I would cause harm to him or his family?
Of course, I realized long ago that he wasn't really a cynical person.
Truly cynical people don't care what happens to those around them.
Donghangsu Mister is just pretending to be cynical. I don't know why, though.
That's interesting.
“If you're saying that because you think I might do something to harm Mister Gong or his family because I'm upset, you don't need to apologize.”
I continued.
“I hate putting someone in a difficult situation because of my personal feelings. Why would I do something I hate?”
“...
He bit his lip, then opened his mouth after a moment.
”That's part of it, but the truth is, I thought I was childish and worthless.“
”...
“To be honest, I was jealous that Ja-ryung was interested in Captain Eun.”
So that was his true intention.
It meant that he cared deeply for Dong Ja-ryung.
“And the truth is, I am a military officer. Because of that, I have received many requests from merchants, so I don't have a very good opinion of them.”
He bowed his head with his hands clasped together.
“I apologize for my narrow-mindedness in thinking that Captain Eun was the same as those merchants.”
So that was it.
This man had his own reasons.
Should I be glad that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, even if it was like this?
“I accept your apology.”
“Thank you.”
“But I need your help in return.”
“What is it?”
I sighed deeply at his question.
“I heard that Miss Dong's brothers are on their way here.”
“That's right. How did you know?”
“They were cleaning the annex.”
Pal-gap told me earlier that Dongja-ryeong's brothers were rushing over upon hearing that Miss Ja-ryeong was recovering.
“Please explain everything so that there are no misunderstandings.”
“Leave it to me. I will make sure there are no problems.”
.
.
.
That evening.
I was following a servant sent by the governor of Guizhou.
He led me to a place that was neither an office nor a reception room.
It was a secluded corner of the governor's residence.
There was a pavilion there.
Was there such a place here?
There was nothing around the pavilion. Not even a tree or a small shrub.
However, a stream about as deep as a person's hand flowed around the four sides of the pavilion, and there was a difference in height between each side, creating a small waterfall that blocked out the sound of the surrounding area.
I thought I knew what this pavilion was built for.
It was a place for discussing confidential matters.
There was nowhere to hide, so no one could eavesdrop.
And if guards were stationed at a certain distance, even they would not be able to hear the conversation clearly.
Of course, if personal safety could not be guaranteed, guards would be stationed nearby.
There were already guests in the pavilion.
They were the Po-jeongsa of Gyeongju and the Po-jeongsa of Hunan.
I climbed up to the pavilion and greeted them politely.
“Did you call for me?”
“Come in. Please sit down.”
“Yes.”
When I sat down in the empty seat, the Po-jeongsa of Hunan spoke first.
“We arranged this meeting because of what you said last time. Didn't you say that the three of us needed to have a serious discussion?”
“Yes, that's right.”
So that's why they called me here.
It seemed that they decided it would be better not to discuss what I wanted to talk about outside.
Judging from their cheerful expressions, it seemed that the misunderstanding between them had been cleared up.
That's good. You two are indispensable to this organization.
“As you both know, this was an attempt by the Seo-un-pa to take the life of Miss Ja-ryung. And there is another force behind the Seo-un-pa.”
Gui-ju-seong Bo-jeong-sa said.
“I heard that too. It was ordered by a man named Ham-song, who is a member of the Martial Alliance, right?”
“Yes. But I don't think it was Ham Song's decision alone.”
“...”
“I don't know why they want to kill Miss Ja-ryung...”
I know, but I can't say anything here.
“I can guarantee it. They will try to kill Miss Ja-ryung again.”
That's right.
That is the real problem.
Thanks to me and Baekbaekhwa, we were able to deal with the quadruple poison, but the Martial Alliance won't give up now.
The fact that they used quadruple poison means that they are wary of Miss Jaryeong's abilities.
They will never give up on killing Miss Jaryeong.
“Then what should we do?”
I looked at the Guizhou Province Police Chief and said.
“I have an idea.”