Chapter 460
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 460
Chapter 460. So that was the real reason (4)
We arrived at the Eulim Inn.
Usually, this is the second or third inn we stay at after getting off the ship.
But for us, this is the first inn.
That means we traveled here at an incredibly fast speed.
We want to stay at as few inns as possible to minimize the amount of information about us.
And this Eulim Inn is my recommendation.
“Welcome! Ah! Captain Eun Seo-ho?”
“It's been a long time.”
The innkeeper of Eulim Inn recognized me.
It had been five years since my last visit, but I had come here to find my missing brother, Jin-ho.
The incident at that time must have been quite memorable.
“What brings you all the way out here?”
He glanced at my party and tilted his head.
“You don't seem to be traveling north...”
“Ah, I'm just stopping by the branch office here for a moment.”
“I see.”
“I can't tell you the details due to circumstances at the Trading Company. I apologize.”
“No, it's fine! I was just curious.”
“Then, I'll have some duck soup, please.”
“You must be hungry! Sure, I'll prepare it right away. Are you planning to stay for one night?”
“Yes. I plan to leave tomorrow.”
We left our horses with the waiters and entered the inn.
The inn was quite large.
It was probably the largest in the area.
The specialty here was duck porridge.
As we sat at the table, Master Han Seok asked in a low voice.
“Is this place reliable?”
He was worried because the innkeeper seemed to be a bit loose-lipped earlier.
I smiled gently and said,
“Don't worry.”
There was really no need to worry. The innkeeper may have seemed lighthearted, but he was not a frivolous person.
He just asked out of curiosity because he thought I was a traveler, not because he wanted to spread rumors.
How do I know that?
The innkeeper himself was tired of rumors, so he opened this inn.
Soon, the duck porridge was served, and we began to eat it with relish.
“Oh! This is delicious!”
“Ooh!”
Soon, the Royal Guards were hooked on the taste of the duck porridge and began to eat it voraciously.
After all, they had been eating nothing but dry rations until then.
The next day.
We left the Eulrim Inn early in the morning.
As we were walking, we saw the forest where Jin-ho had disappeared.
It was the place where a no-man's land had formed due to Eunmu's rejection.
Passing through this place again, I had mixed feelings.
However, there was no time to get caught up in my emotions.
We rode our horses diligently and soon arrived in Chengdu.
The weather in Yunnan is known to be unpredictable.
However, Chengdu, the capital city, tends to have warm spring weather throughout the year.
That must be why so many people gathered here and it became Chengdu.
The only drawback is that it is located at a high altitude.
“By the way, young master.”
“What is it?”
“Are you sure you know where the branch office is and how to get there?”
“Of course.”
“As far as I know, you've never been here before, so how do you know the way?”
Ah... Come to think of it, I've never been to the Yunnan branch in this life.
So, of course, I don't know...
“I heard about it from the provincial governor before. He explained it to me in detail.”
“Isn't it difficult to find your way just from his explanation?”
“I'm smart, aren't I?”
“...”
Pal-gap didn't answer and just stared at me.
What is that look?
I feel embarrassed now.
Anyway, we arrived at the Yunnan branch of Eunhaesang Trading Company.
“Huh? Isn't that Captain?”
The gatekeeper of the Yunnan branch was surprised and exclaimed. He was also a member of Eunpungdae.
And Eunpungdae members rotate their duties as a rule.
That's why he recognized me.
In fact, the Yunnan branch was not that big.
It was more like a small shop where a few managers and employees stayed and delivered tea.
However, with the rapid growth of our Eunhae Trading Company, the delivery volume of pu-erh tea also increased, so we officially established a branch a few years ago.
It's much faster than my previous life.
Of course, it's only half the size of the Sichuan branch, but it's still a branch.
The gatekeeper quickly rang the bell to inform those inside and approached me with clasped hands.
“A member of the Silver Wind Corps wishes to see the Captain.”
“Welcome. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Ki.”
He raised his head and looked at the bodyguards behind me. Seeing him smile, it seemed that he was acquainted with the bodyguards who belonged to the Eunpungdae.
At that moment, a familiar man rushed out from inside.
“What brings you here?”
“I apologize for visiting so suddenly.”
Seong Joon-baek, the branch manager.
When Jin-ho went missing, he was a head of the branch, but when this place was promoted to a branch office, he became the branch manager.
“No, please come in.”
With such a warm welcome, we entered the Yunnan branch of Eunhae Trading Company.
“We haven't prepared a place for you to stay, so it will take some time to get everything ready. I apologize.”
I waved my hand at his words.
“That makes me feel even more sorry. It was my fault for coming without contacting you first.”
I continued.
“If you're not busy, can we talk for a while?”
“Of course.”
We headed to the reception room and were served tea.
Yunnan is a region that produces high-quality pu-erh tea.
Pu-erh tea is a fermented tea, and it can be fermented just right in this region because it is humid and there are no extreme heat or cold throughout the year.
It tastes good.
“Is the captain of the Trading Company in good health?”
I put down my teacup and replied to his question.
“Yes, my father is in very good health. And I am also doing well.”
“I am glad to hear that.”
“And I am always grateful for your hard work, Mr. Seong.”
I continued.
“I have not forgotten your hard work in staying in this remote area and supplying high-quality tea to the Trading Company.”
“Your words make me feel very humbled.”
Now, let's get down to business.
“The reason I came here suddenly is because I have to go to Chun-gyeong-seong urgently.”
Seong Joon-baek looked troubled when he heard my words.
“That won't be easy. These days, Chun-gyeong-seong is strictly controlling outsiders.”
“Suddenly?”
“Yes. About a month ago, the atmosphere in Chunkyungseong suddenly changed, and such measures were taken. When I inquired about the reason, I was told that assassins had attempted to kill the imperial envoys. Therefore, these measures were taken to protect the envoys in Chunkyungseong.”
Huh?
What does that mean?
I glanced at the Royal Guards and Master, and they also looked confused.
The branch chief of the Yunnan branch had no reason to lie, so there was only one answer.
That was what they had announced to the public.
Of course, considering my past life, it was a complete lie.
However, Branch Chief Sung Joon-baek was not finished.
“But I have my doubts about that news. From what I've seen, it doesn't seem to be for the protection of the envoys.”
“Why do you think so?”
“The Magistrate of Chunkyung would have hired assassins to kill the imperial envoys, not to protect them from assassins.”
He continued.
“Every envoy who came here committed acts of violence and collected enormous amounts of wealth under the guise of gifts.”
“What?”
That was an unexpected reason.
“The envoys committed atrocities? And they took gifts?”
“Even I thought those atrocities were excessive.”
I couldn't help but laugh at the explanation given by the branch chief.
It is said that when envoys from the empire came, Chun Gyeong-seong made tearful efforts to please them.
Not only did they prepare lavish meals for every meal, but they also turned a blind eye to the envoys raping women they liked.
They even cut off the wrists of commoners for blocking the road.
Wow... These people are animals in human form.
“And not long ago, an envoy raped the daughter of the Magistrate of Chunkyungseong.”
“What?”
“I asked him to take her as his wife, but he refused. In the end, she gave herself to him, but they didn't even apologize for what they did.”
“Wow...”
“You want to curse him, don't you?”
“Yes, I do. I want to curse him badly.”
“That's not all. Every time they come, they load their carts with treasures. How difficult must it be for the people to pay such heavy taxes?”
“....”
I thought for a moment and asked.
“Why didn't you protest to the imperial court? If you had protested, the emperor would not have let them get away with it.”
“Perhaps they were threatened. If you protest, I will accuse you of treason. Then, Chunkyungseong will disappear in no time. It will be just like this.”
That was entirely possible.
However, there was one prerequisite.
I asked Master Kwon.
“Are the envoys to Chunkyungseong still going as planned?”
He nodded in response to my question.
“I understand that it is a very remote place, and if someone else is sent, they will not be recognized and will not be able to do their job properly. Captain.”
Since he was acting as my bodyguard, Master Kwon used honorific language when speaking to me.
At that moment, Branch Chief Sung Joon-baek quietly asked, “Who are those people?”
“Excuse me, who are those people?”
“They are my bodyguards.”
“What?”
“Just know that.”
Seong Joon-baek nodded immediately upon hearing my words.
He was quick-witted, as I had expected from someone I recognized.
“I understand.”
“Then is Chun-gyeong the only place where such atrocities occur?”
“No. It's the same in other tribes. However, there are fewer incidents here in Kunming because there are many people and many outsiders.”
Surely... It's a closed community with little interaction with other regions, so such things are acceptable.
By the way, how could the imperial envoys persecute those whom the emperor had granted official positions?
Seong Joon-baek continued.
“In any case, because of what happened, the claim that measures were taken to exclude outsiders in order to protect the envoys in Chunkyungseong is not credible.”
.
.
.
While we were talking, our quarters were prepared.
I was shown to my quarters, unpacked my belongings, and returned to the garden.
Perhaps because it was spring, the garden was in full bloom.
At that moment, Master Kwon walked over.
He looked deep in thought.
It was understandable. Even I was shocked by what I had just heard from Branch Chief Sung Joon-baek.
“You seem deep in thought.”
“Ah, you were here too.”
“Yes. I wanted to get some fresh air.”
“Me too.”
He continued.
“To be honest, I find it hard to believe what Branch Chief Sung told me earlier. But... even a little investigation will reveal the truth. He wouldn't have lied.”
“Branch Chief Sung is a trustworthy person.”
“Yes, that's why it's even more troubling.”
He continued.
“It's been almost fifty years since we sent a royal envoy here.”
“That's a long time.”
“Yes. But that doesn't mean the empire has abandoned Yunnan. We have sent people from the Royal Guards and the Dongchang to monitor this place.”
He continued.
“But reports like this have not reached His Majesty the Emperor. If they had been monitoring properly, His Majesty's messenger would have sent us a message about this matter before the messenger from Chunjing City.”
“Are they also fixed?”
“Yes. That way, they won't be suspected.”
“....”
“Now I understand.”
I too now understood why the emperor had sent me here.
The emperor had noticed.
He had noticed that his own men, who were supposed to be watching over Yunnan, were serving someone else.
He had noticed that his son had been caught up in it.
That was why he had sent me along, so that I could come up with a good way to deceive them about our identities.
Then why didn't the emperor tell me and them in advance?
He must have trusted me.
He sent the Royal Guards in secret for fear that information would leak out, and he may not have had the time to tell us.
In any case, now that things have come to this, I can no longer trust the Royal Guards and my classmates who were sent here.
The Royal Guards who accompanied me seemed to trust those who had been dispatched to Yunnan...
In any case, the situation in Chunkyungseong is unfortunate, but we had to rescue the crown prince.
“By the way, is this your first time visiting Yunnan, Your Highness?”
“Yes. I went there on His Majesty's orders.”
So you saw this as an opportunity and detained the envoys.
From the perspective of the Magistrate of Chunjing City, it may have seemed like a no-win situation.
However, what I still don't understand is the death of the Royal Guards who were dispatched here about a month ago.
Judging from the wounds left on the bodies of those who died, led by Master Mosan, the culprit is someone we trusted.
This narrowed down the list of suspects.
Either it was one of the Royal Guards or my classmates who were detained here.
Perhaps they worked together to carry out the crime.
They probably did it because they didn't want their misdeeds to be exposed.
In any case, I received orders from the emperor and had to rescue the prince.
The prince, who went there under the emperor's orders without knowing anything, is not at fault... Wait a minute.
The prince is the rightful heir to the throne.
This is not a simple matter, is it?