Chapter 402
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 402
Chapter 402. Departure (4)
Song-woon, the Captain, continued in a trembling voice.
“Come to think of it, we had this. But when we heard that the person in charge ran away with the money, we gave up on using this ledger as evidence...”
“Don't you think that's strange?”
“What do you mean?”
It wouldn't be very convincing to tell Song-woon about the Martial Alliance.
“The amount you owe is fifty nyang.”
“That's right. We've been paying it back every month.”
“It's not gold, it's fifty nyang in silver. Why would he run away with that? What can he do with that?”
His expression began to change at my words.
“Then?”
“Yes. Baekcheon Trading Company used a cowardly trick to get their hands on Changhae Trading Company. In the process, the manager who was in charge of the debt was sacrificed.”
“I see!”
Song-woon said incredulously.
“But... The Baekcheon Trading Company, which is affiliated with the Martial Alliance, wouldn't do such a thing. Isn't that something a bad loan shark would do?”
Yes, that's right.
And the Baekcheon Trading Company did that bad thing.
“They sacrificed Mo Cheong, who was in charge of the debt, to make you believe that they wouldn't do such a thing.”
I tapped the ledger with my fingers and said.
“This ledger is the proof. Look here, there is the signature of Lord Jihyeon. Why did Mo Hyung-soo do such a troublesome thing?”
“...”
“If he wanted to get the signature of Lord Jihyeon, he should have shown his sincerity in a small way.”
“...”
He didn't answer, but it didn't matter.
I wasn't asking for an answer.
“It's because Mo Haengsu was a very good man. He knew that Ji-hyun's signature would be needed someday.”
He bowed his head at my words.
“...I'm ashamed of myself for cursing him all this time.”
"Don't blame yourself too much. Anyone would have resented Mo Hyung-soo in that situation.“
Song Un raised his head and asked me with a solemn expression.
”Then what should I do now?“
”I will arrange a meeting. Take this and appeal your case.“
I continued.
”Of course, Jitaekmun Hyung-soo, who is here now, must also be present."
He was a captain belonging to Baekcheon Trading Company and was currently here to take over the work of Changhae Trading Company.
I wondered what his expression would be.
Song, the captain, nodded at my words.
“I understand. Then when should we go to Cheongdo?”
“Why are we going to Cheongdo?”
“Because this seal belongs to the magistrate of Cheongdo...”
“Aren't we busy preparing for trade with foreign countries under the orders of His Majesty the Emperor? It will take at least six days to go to Cheongdo. We can't spend that much time.”
I replied with a smile.
“The magistrate of Cheongdo is on his way here.”
“What?”
“And the person I need to appeal my grievance to is not the county magistrate. Honestly, how could the county magistrate put pressure on the Baekcheon Trading Company?”
“Then why the county magistrate?”
“Because I need a witness.”
I recalled my meeting with the county magistrate yesterday.
Nanjing and Qingdao are quite far apart.
No matter how fast you ride a horse, it would take six days to get there and back.
But I am a martial artist at the peak of my powers. This distance was enough for half a day.
Jihyeon of Cheongdo naturally rejected my proposal at first.
But.
“Take a look at this.”
I said, handing him my inspection badge.
“The person who gave this to me is watching.”
“Hahaha! You can ignore what I just said. No, I can't go. Of course I have to go. Hahaha.”
Some may say that this is an abuse of power, but it is not.
It is to save the innocent people.
Therefore, the emperor will understand.
After thinking for a moment, he looked surprised. He understood what I meant.
“For now, just know that much.”
“I understand.”
“And security is of the utmost importance in this matter. If they find out about this, they will surely take action.”
“I understand.”
“Don't tell anyone about this. Not even your wife, let alone your aides.”
“I will.”
As security is of the utmost importance in this matter, it might be better to tell Captain Song about it when Jihyeon arrives and proceed immediately.
However, there is a reason for informing Captain Song in advance.
First, Song Un-so must set sail as soon as he regains the rights of Changhae Trading Company.
This means that he must be prepared in advance.
Second, he wants to see what Song Un-so is like.
It is more common than one might think for things to go wrong because of trusting those around you.
However, no matter how much you ask someone to keep a secret, it is quite difficult for them not to tell anyone around them.
Therefore, if he can do so, it means that he has the self-control and composure to do so.
He is helping Changhae Trading Company to take revenge on Baekcheon Trading Company, but it would be a shame if that were the end of it.
This is to decide in advance whether to continue the relationship or just let it end as a passing acquaintance.
If I had any connection with him in my previous life, I wouldn't have done this, but I didn't know him then.
Ji-hyun should arrive in about three or four days, right?
Our Eunhae Trading Company's ships will arrive by then.
* * *
Whoosh!
Two ships were sailing swiftly across the water.
The words written on the side of the ships were “Eunhae.”
These were two merchant ships recently built by the Eunhae Trading Company.
Yong-eung-wan, a man watching the waves from the deck of the lead ship, felt a rush of emotions.
He had lived a meager life as a sailor, but now he was returning home as the captain of such a large merchant ship.
“Is it that good?”
“Huh?”
Turning his head, he saw his colleague and close friend, Songjuk, standing there.
“Is it that good?”
“You're asking the obvious. How could it not be good when I can return to my hometown with the money to free myself and my family?”
“I guess you're right.”
Yong Eung-wan had personally recruited the crew for this voyage and trained them in navigation near the river in Yangyang.
Since the ship had not yet been built, they had to make a rough model on land, but training was essential.
The larger the ship, the more important it was for everyone to work together to avoid accidents.
In fact, he had planned to use the money he earned from trading to repay Eun Seo-ho for his freedom.
He wanted to become a truly free man and live happily with his family.
However, his mind changed over the course of a few months.
The power of Eunhaesang Trading Company was greater than he had imagined.
If he turned down this position, he would surely regret it.
His family had been unjustly accused and turned into slaves.
Rather than staying in a place where he had such painful and sad memories, it seemed better to move to a new place and start a new life.
“Are we there yet?”
At that moment, a man approached from behind.
His name was Eun Jeong-ho.
He was the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company and had been appointed as the next head of the company.
He was on his way to Nanjing on the same ship for this trade.
After seeing off Yong Eung-wan and his party in Nanjing, he would return to Hubei.
Song Jook replied.
“Yes, it should be about half an hour more.”
“I see.”
Yong Eung-wan said to him with a deep smile.
“You look happy.”
“Of course. I can't help but smile when I think about how happy Seo Ho will be when he sees this ship.”
Yong Eung-wan nodded.
He always thought that they were a pair of brothers who got along well.
Seeing them, he thought of his own brother.
His brother, who had been falsely accused and fallen from grace, and had become a battle slave with him. He didn't know if he was alive or dead, but he hoped that he was alive.
For the sake of his family, and for his own sake.
* * *
“Young master! Young master! The Trading Company's ship has arrived!”
At Pal-gap's words, I jumped up from my seat.
“Really? Then we must go greet them.”
The person who brought the news was a member of the Eunhae Trading Company's intelligence unit. He had been waiting at the pier and ran to deliver the news as soon as the ship arrived.
A short time later, I arrived at the pier.
I could see the ship that had just lowered its temporary bridge.
The name “Eunhae” was clearly written on it.
It was definitely our Eunhae Trading Company's ship.
But when I saw the ship, I couldn't help but open my mouth in surprise.
Father?
Was my father such a generous person?
The ship in front of me was bigger than I had imagined. No, to be precise, it was much bigger.
“I haven't seen you look like that in a long time.”
Then I heard Jung-ho's voice.
I turned my head and saw Jung-ho getting off the ship.
“Brother! You came too?”
“It's an important event for our Eunhae Trading Company. My father told me to come and see you off.”
That meant that my father also considered Jung-ho to be the next captain.
Just as Jin-ho and I had intended.
I smiled broadly and said,
“Of course you should! But where is Captain Yong?”
“Oh, he's finishing up some work.”
Soon, Captain Yong-eung-wan finished his work and got off the ship.
Next to him was his right-hand man, Song-juk, whom I had seen before.
“Greetings, Third Captain Yong-eung-wan.”
“Greetings, Third Captain Song-juk.”
With these two, everything should go well.
“Thank you for all your hard work. I was surprised to see that the ship is bigger and more majestic than I expected.”
“I was also surprised.”
“You must all be tired from your journey. Please go inside and rest first. I have reserved an inn for you so that you can rest comfortably.”
I took them to the inn I had reserved.
A short time later.
Everyone freshened up and came down to the dining room on the first floor.
Captain Yong and Song-juk sat with my brother and me, and after dinner, we drank tea and talked about various things.
“By the way, Seo-ho.”
“What is it?”
“Why did you tell me to bring plum fruits?”
There are many plum trees in Hubei Province. So when the plum blossoms bloom in spring, it is a spectacular sight.
The fruit is used as a herbal medicine, but at that time, I didn't know that.
I didn't know that plum is an effective medicine for the body when it is weakened by a long voyage.
“Captain Yong, you have been sailing for a long time, so you must know that when people stay on a ship for a long time, their gums bleed and they vomit blood, which makes their bodies very weak.”
“You know that well. We call it ‘leakage disease.’”
It means a disease where blood leaks out.
“It's a strange disease that affects sailors on long voyages. That's why we grow bean sprouts on the ship...”
At that moment, Song-juk seemed to realize something.
“Don't tell me... Plums...”
“That's right. Plums are said to be an effective remedy for nu-gyeol-byung.”
This fact was discovered after large-scale trade began in his previous life.
Many sailors suffered from a disease that caused bleeding from the gums and weakened the body, but there was no effective medicine for it.
It was said that vegetables were good for the disease, so they tried growing bean sprouts on the ship, but there were limitations.
There was not enough space or water.
Then, by chance, they learned that plum was a medicine.
A trading company that had embarked on overseas trade had loaded the wrong food onto their ship, so they ended up loading plums instead. The sailors who ate the plums during the voyage returned home in very good health.
This proved that plums were effective, and naturally, the price of plums rose sharply.
We cannot miss this opportunity.
I already own a mountain in Hubei Province that is full of plum trees.
“As you said, I picked unripe plums and put them in candy, but will they really be effective?”
“Of course. And you know that plums are used as medicine in many ways.”
Jeong-ho nodded at my words.
“I know that. They are effective not only for thirst and vomiting, but also for dysentery and fatigue recovery.”
“That's why it will be very helpful.”
When you live on a ship for a long time, the water goes bad and you suffer from diarrhea.
Plums are a special remedy for that.
“So make sure to eat one plum every day.”
“I understand.”
Captain Yong-eung nodded.
“By the way, what are the goods we are carrying?”
“Tea and ceramics.”
“Tea?”
“Didn't you tell my father the other day that you wanted to sell Yookbo tea from Guangxi Province?”
“That's right.”
“So, we have prepared various teas, including Yubo tea from Guangxi Province. And in consultation with the Mudo Trading Company, we have also prepared plenty of tea cups and other ceramics.”
“That's amazing. I will definitely make a lot of profit from this trade.”
“Don't put so much pressure on yourself.”
I said with a smile.
“Just relax until we set sail.”
.
.
.
Three days later.
Pal-gap entered my room and said.
“Young master, the governor of Cheongdo has arrived at the military headquarters.”
“Really?”
I got up from my seat and said.
“Did you arrange the banquet hall as I asked?”
“Of course. I made a reservation at a tavern nearby.”
That place is the venue for this event.
I plan to invite the officials dispatched from the imperial palace and the officials from the Military Command Headquarters to tonight's banquet.
And also the members of the Trading Company who were in charge of this trade.
With them as witnesses, Jitaekmun... No, Baekcheon Trading Company will suffer a huge loss.