Chapter 405
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 405
Chapter 405. Departure (7)
I quickly helped him up and said,
“Please take back your oath. Captain Yong, you do not owe your soul and bravery to me.”
“Then to whom do you say I owe it?”
“To yourself.”
“What?”
“I am just a petty merchant who is using Captain Yong for my own gain.”
I continued.
“No one cares for Captain Yong more than Captain Yong himself.”
His eyes filled with emotion.
Those eyes are really overwhelming.
“Guh! You are truly a hero.”
Guh!
Why is that sound coming from here?
I managed to calm him down and sent him away, then sat down heavily in my chair.
“Ah, I'm exhausted.”
At that moment, the door opened and Pal-gap entered and asked,
“Captain Yong, what's wrong? Your eyes are red, and you look like you're about to cry.”
“Ah…”
I sighed and said.
“That? It's just a misunderstanding on his part.”
“...?”
Pal-gap's expression changed, so I had no choice but to explain everything.
“...That's why I'm so moved. I just did what was in my best interest, but I don't know why he's acting like this.”
“Even I would be moved.”
“Huh?”
“Ah, the first Captain just asked if you wanted to have some tea.”
It seems like you just changed the subject.
Well, Jung-ho Hyung-nim is waiting, so I should go.
.
.
.
The next day.
It was a busy morning.
There were many things to check before setting sail.
They had to check the condition of the ship and make sure they had everything they needed for repairs.
They also had to make sure they had enough goods to trade and enough food and water for the voyage.
It took almost two hours to check everything, and we finally finished preparing to depart.
Six officials from the Ministry of Rituals were selected for this trade mission.
Among them, a fifth-rank official from the Ministry of Rituals presided over the ritual.
It was a ritual to pray for the safe completion of this trade mission.
After reading the prayer, he burned the paper and threw it into the sky.
The people rejoiced as they watched it rise high into the sky.
“It's a good omen!”
“It's a sign that this trade will be successful!”
One official was assigned to each ship of the Trading Company, and from what I heard, it seemed that the assistant minister would be boarding our ship.
Meanwhile, Jung-ho gathered the members of the Eunhae Trading Company, including Captain Yong-eung, and said, "Everyone, please listen carefully.
“You are the ones who will open the door to the first historic trade with a foreign country for our Eunhae Trading Company. As such, I do not expect great results, but I hope that you will not suffer any major losses.”
Everyone's faces tensed at his words.
“What do you think is the most valuable thing in this trade? Is it the ship? Is it the goods being traded? No. The most valuable thing is you.”
Jeong-ho smiled.
“Losing you would be a great loss. So please take care of yourselves and have a safe trip.”
Jeong-ho's words were the motto of Eunhae Trading Company.
Everyone was moved by his words. Then Captain Yong-eung shouted,
“We will obey your orders.”
Soon, everyone boarded the ship and finished preparing to set sail.
Puuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
I felt good thinking about the profits our Eunhae Trading Company would make through this trade.
And with Captain Song Un joining us on this trip, I felt a little more at ease.
However, we couldn't let our guard down.
When trading with foreign countries, you never know what might happen.
The commander watching the ship depart from the port said to his second-in-command, "I'm going to the Moo-rim-maeng.
“I must go to the Martial Alliance. Tell the commander to keep a close watch on this place.”
“Yes, sir.”
That's right. If the Shandong people say they will do something, they will do it.
Come to think of it, Captain Namgung Kang must have heard about this, but he was still quiet, which bothered me.
He must be busy trying to find a way out of this situation.
His silence must mean that he is plotting something.
I wonder what he will do...
Then, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.
To be honest, there were many things that the Martial Alliance had done that would be condemned if they became known to the world.
Nevertheless, the Martial Alliance is still known as a righteous organization because those things have not been revealed to the world.
The Baekcheon Trading Company is a subsidiary of the Martial Alliance. Therefore, Namgung Kang must be thinking along the same lines.
If so, how will he try to hide this?
A thought crossed my mind.
Could it be...
I quickly turned around and called the commander.
“Commander.”
“What is it?”
“Is it true that you are going to the Martial Alliance tomorrow?”
“No. I am planning to go now. This matter cannot be delayed.”
“Ah! In that case, may I accompany you?”
I continued.
“I have business in Luoyang, but the road is dangerous, so I would like to ask for your help.”
The commander nodded readily to my request.
“It's not a difficult task. Do as you wish.”
“Thank you! Thank you very much.”
“I plan to leave in an hour, so come to the commander's office by then.”
“Yes, I will.”
I moved quickly.
While Pal-gap and the bodyguards were preparing to leave, I explained the situation to my brother Jeong-ho.
“Brother, I have something urgent to do in Luoyang, so I have to leave now.”
“Now?”
“Yes. I wanted to spend more time with you, but I have no choice. You said you were going to Beijing, right?”
“Yes, I have to check on the delivery of silk to the imperial palace.”
“You will be safe if you go with the other members of the Trading Company who are here.”
There was a large road between Beijing and Nanjing, so it was easy to get there.
“I will pay for your inn here. Just in case, I will pay for five days.”
“That's not necessary. You can stay at the Dao Zhisheng's office where you were supposed to stay and go with them.”
“Yes, do as you wish. I have one request, though…”
I asked my brother to protect Mo Cheng, who was staying at the inn.
After finishing my conversation with my brother, I headed straight for the Dao Zhisheng's office.
The Daoist priest had indeed finished his preparations.
He was truly a man of action.
“Are you here?”
The Daoist priest's aide greeted me.
“I will be in your care.”
With that, we set off for Luoyang.
The Daoist priest was riding a horse, so I couldn't ride in the carriage.
So, all of us rode horses.
While riding, I sent a telepathic message to everyone.
“Everyone, be careful of an ambush.”
Everyone's eyes turned to me, and I calmly began to explain.
“It is highly likely that Namgung Kang, the captain of the Baekcheon Trading Company, will resort to murder to silence the commander-in-chief.”
Jin-yu Musha also agreed with me.
“It's highly likely. That's how they operate...”
“In any case, be careful.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
***
Inside the barracks.
It was the third night since we left for the Martial Alliance.
Aek Yeong-gyeong, the military commander of Nanjing, was spending the night in his barracks, as befits a military man.
He looked at the ledger of Mo Cheong-hyeong and his will, which he held in his hands.
“How did these end up in my hands...”
The Shandong Aek family, to which Aek Yeong-gyeong belonged, was part of the Martial Alliance, but the Martial Alliance was not their top priority.
They have a long history of serving in the military, so the imperial family is their top priority.
And Ak Young-kyung is a high-ranking official.
He is well aware of the emperor's concerns about the Martial Alliance.
He even had a conversation with the emperor about this matter.
“What do you think of the Martial Alliance?”
“I don't understand why you are asking me that.”
“Let me ask you this first. Are you loyal to me or to the Martial Alliance?”
“Your Majesty! If I have done something wrong, please punish me!”
“It's not like that, so don't make such a fuss.”
“...”
“So what is your answer?”
“Of course, I am loyal only to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“But your family belongs to the Martial Alliance, doesn't it?”
“My family belongs to the Martial Alliance because it is useful.”
“Is that so? Actually, the Martial Alliance has been bothering me lately.”
“What do you mean?”
“They keep encroaching on my territory. I want them to restrain themselves while I'm watching.”
Aekyeong resented the Martial Alliance for daring to upset His Majesty.
He had been looking for an opportunity to give them a stern warning, and now an unexpected opportunity had presented itself.
He also needed to show his loyalty to the emperor.
He put them in his pocket.
“By the way... I hope I haven't made a foolish choice.”
Although Aek Yeong-gyeong was devoted to the military, he had heard some things as a member of a family belonging to the Martial Alliance.
Sometimes, people related to the Martial Alliance would disappear without a trace or die suddenly.
Although these were just rumors, he knew that they were close to the truth.
After all, the position of Second-Rank Military Commander was not something that could be won through gambling.
And the Baekcheon Trading Company was affiliated with the Martial Alliance. It was possible that they would do the same thing to him.
Therefore, he had his quarters built in a separate location and did not hire any guards.
This was to prevent unnecessary sacrifices.
If they were going to attack, it would be to kill him.
That was when it happened.
Shut!
The candles in the tent went out.
“...!”
He immediately sensed a killing intent.
He jumped up from his seat and raised his spear.
“I made a foolish choice after all!”
He bit his lip and swung his spear.
Clang!
However, it was difficult to use the spear properly in the narrow tent.
Swoosh!
Akyung-gyeong cut through the tent and rushed outside. He swung his spear at those rushing toward him.
However, he couldn't help but frown.
“They planned this to silence me.”
There were many intruders, and they were skilled fighters.
His spear flew through the air with force. Aekyeong was a veteran soldier who had fought on the battlefield for many years.
However, the battle was not going well.
As the fierce battle continued, Aekyeong gradually became exhausted.
“I was wrong.”
He swung his spear with all his might, but in the end, he allowed himself to be caught off guard for a moment.
“I can't let them get away!”
He clenched his spear tightly, determined to kill one of them even if he was injured.
However.
Clang!
The sword that had pierced his opening was knocked away.
And someone's back appeared in its place.
“Who... Ah!”
His opponent was wearing a mask, but he could tell who it was.
“Are you okay?”
“I'm fine.”
“We will take over from here.”
With that, several people appeared.
They were also dressed in black and wearing masks.
It was obvious who they were, but he didn't mention their identities.
They must have had some intention.
Then, they began to fight them in earnest.
Amidst the chaos, someone caught Akyeong's attention.
Among them, one person's martial arts skills stood out as he easily defeated the assassins.
“Those martial arts...”
Anyone in the military would recognize those martial arts. It was the Imperial Martial Arts.
***
I glanced behind me at the commander.
He recognized my martial arts.
I was fighting the enemies with the Imperial Martial Arts. There was a reason why I was using the Imperial Martial Arts.
First of all, it was to show that I was not an enemy of the commander.
At the same time, it was also to hide my identity from the enemies.
That was also the reason why everyone was wearing black clothes and masks.
It was in case one of them escaped.
Puck!
Pah!
Hoo... I let out a sigh.
Fortunately, I was able to subdue all of them without missing a single one.
I turned around and approached the commander.
“You...”
He said to me.
“There was a reason you asked me to accompany you. Did you expect this?”
“Yes. They can be a little dirty.”
“More importantly... Was that Imperial Martial Arts you just used?”
“Yes.”
“Who are you, exactly?”
“I am just a small official who lives by the grace of the emperor.”
After thinking for a moment, he said.
“Come to think of it, you were the one who hosted the banquet that exposed the injustice of the Changhae Trading Company. Could it be that you were behind this?”
I had to answer carefully.
People don't like to think that they've been manipulated by someone else.
This is especially true for high-ranking officials.
I smiled gently.
“The Emperor's insight is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people like us.”
“Then you must be the person sent by His Majesty the Emperor.”
“His Majesty the Emperor has high expectations for the Dao Commander. He is not the kind of person who would die in a place like this.”
“I see! His Majesty the Emperor...”
The commander bowed toward the imperial palace and shouted.
“Long live the emperor! Your Majesty!”
I was glad that my excuse worked.
I was sure that even the emperor would understand.