Chapter 504
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 504
Chapter 504. The Critic Murder Case (3)
Thanks to steady growth over the past few years, the Eunhae Trading Company's intelligence network was now active throughout the empire.
I had worked hard and made considerable progress compared to my previous life.
And now, I was reaping the rewards.
“Jinyu, warrior.”
“Yes?”
“Please deliver this letter to Cheongyaru in secret.”
“Understood.”
Cheongyaru in Beijing.
That was the Beijing base of our Trading Company's intelligence unit.
However, I did not use it as much as I could.
Since it was in the public eye, I was afraid that its true nature would be revealed.
When necessary, I would ask Jin-yu Musha to secretly pass on information.
Their help was essential for this mission.
The next day, Master Jin-yeong came to see me again.
“His Majesty the Emperor is calling for you.”
“Yes.”
I thought he would call me today, and my prediction was correct.
I adjusted my attire and followed Master Jin-yeong to the imperial palace.
When I paid my respects to the emperor, he said to me,
“Raise your head.”
“Your Majesty, I am deeply honored.”
“Yes, I hear that you are helping Jin-yeong and working hard to solve the murder of the critic.”
So this case has been named the murder of the critic.
“If it is of any help, I think it is my duty.”
“You speak well.”
The emperor smiled slightly.
“I can see that you have a lot of work to do right now, but I bet you're complaining to yourself that you have more work to do.”
Gasp...
How did you know?
Could it be that you have another job besides being the emperor?
For example, a job that only requires a mat?
“Let me ask you something. Do you think the guy we've got is the culprit?”
The emperor's eyes were filled with anticipation.
He was probably hoping to hear me say, “Yes, that guy is the culprit.”
But I couldn't do that.
It might satisfy the emperor now, but it would be difficult to deal with later.
“No.”
“No...?”
“Yes.”
I nodded.
“In my opinion, he is not the culprit.”
The emperor looked disappointed.
He must have been disappointed that his plan to pressure and weaken the Martial Alliance and the Namgung Clan was ruined.
“Why?”
“Because his skills are better than those of the culprit.”
“Hmm... Is that so?”
I promised to keep it a secret, but we are in front of the emperor.
Moreover, the emperor has a master of martial arts by his side, so how can I keep it a secret?
“However, even though he could be released if he revealed his skills, he asked me to keep it a secret.”
“...That's a strange request.”
“So now we are looking for other evidence.”
“That bastard is making my people work hard for nothing.”
I doubted my ears when I heard him mutter that.
Did he just say “my people”?
I was in a daze for a moment, but then the emperor asked me.
“So, do you think you can find the evidence?”
“Yes. I am trying to find out what he did last night.”
“What did he do last night?”
“Yes. He refuses to tell me what he did last night. So, if I can find out, I think I can prove his innocence and find the real culprit.”
“Tsk!”
The emperor clicked his tongue.
“That kid is quite a handful.”
I glanced at the eunuch standing next to me.
He already looked as if he had given up on the emperor's harsh words.
“But isn't it likely that he asked you not to mention that he isn't telling you anything?”
“That will be fine once we find out what he did at that time.”
“Yes. I'm sure you'll handle it well. Anyway, it's a bit of a shame.”
“Your Majesty. I have something to report.”
“Go ahead.”
I cautiously began to speak.
“It's not necessary for him to be guilty in order to get something, is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Even if he's not guilty, we can still get something.”
I continued.
“You're flattering me.”
The emperor thought for a moment, then smiled and looked at me.
“This guy...
Is it just my imagination, or does the emperor's gaze resemble the way Geum-ryeong looks at Geum-won-bo?
”Captain Eunseo-ho.“
”Yes, Your Majesty.“
”Do your best to prove his innocence. If you want to do as you say, you must first prove his innocence."
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
.
.
.
I returned to the Beijing branch.
“Captain, the poet Song Rok is here.”
The assistant officer informed me that the poet Song Rok had arrived.
“Where is he now?”
“He is resting at his lodgings.”
“Then please tell him to meet me in the reception room.”
“Yes, sir.”
Poet Song Rok won the poetry contest held two years ago.
As agreed, he joined our Eunhae Trading Company and traveled around the country.
He was also selected as a judge for this year's poetry contest.
He was supposed to come with Jin-ho when he arrived, but he had something come up and arrived late.
As we waited in the reception room, Song Rok soon arrived.
“Welcome.”
“I'm sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Not at all. You didn't wait long. Please have a seat.”
Pal-gap soon brought out refreshments.
“Please help yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“By the way, you've become quite robust since I last saw you.”
When I first saw him, he looked thin and haggard, but now he had gained weight and looked much healthier.
He smiled awkwardly and replied.
“It's all thanks to Captain Song.”
“I still feel sick to my stomach when I think about that day. A man at a construction site in Beijing...”
“Ugh!”
When I mentioned his dark past, Song Rok waved his arms in the air and said, “That...
”Why are you doing that?“
”Please forget about it."
“How can I forget? The poem you wrote at that construction site was so beautiful.”
“...”
He sighed and grumbled in response to my words.
“Is it so fun to tease me?”
“I'm sorry. I haven't had anything to laugh about lately.”
Now that the atmosphere had lightened up a bit, it was time to get down to business.
The reason I deliberately teased Song Rok to lighten the mood was because the topic I wanted to bring up was not a pleasant one.
“The poetry contest is tomorrow.”
“Yes.”
“Tomorrow, as last year, you will be judging the poetry contest, so please do your best.”
“Of course.”
He clasped his hands together and bowed his head slightly to me.
“Unlike last year and the year before, this year's contest is open to the entire empire, so there are a lot of participants.”
“That's fine. Appreciating poetry is my pleasure. Besides, isn't it an honor to be invited to judge a poetry contest?”
I smiled at his words and nodded.
He was right.
I changed my expression to a serious one.
“Actually, something terrible happened in Beijing a few days ago.”
“Something terrible?”
“A writer who came to Beijing to attend the poetry contest was brutally murdered.”
“My goodness!”
I gave him a rough explanation of what had happened. Of course, I did not mention anything that was confidential.
After hearing my explanation, he nodded.
“I know the poet Na Jeong-soo. It's not right to say this about someone who has been murdered, but he had a nasty temper, so I didn't like him very much. I'm not surprised that he met such a cruel death.”
If Song Rok said so, he must have been quite notorious among poets.
“How harsh were your criticisms?”
“To be honest, his criticism was more like condemnation.”
He explained Na Jeong-soo's method of criticism.
“He would write poems condemning someone else's poems and post them in busy streets.”
Huh...
That's publicly shaming someone, isn't it?
Just as Song Rok said, he really was a spiteful man.
In that case, the poem on the wall wasn't just a warning to him.
It was also a way of giving him a taste of his own medicine.
“When you read his criticism, it's so harsh that you wonder if a human being should go that far... In the end, many people couldn't bear the shame and chose to die.”
“And yet he didn't stop criticizing him?”
“Yes. He believed that even if those people died, it was because they were weak-willed and that even if he didn't do anything, they would have made the same extreme choice someday...”
“...”
What a piece of trash.
I understood why Song Rok had such a strong dislike for Na Jeong-soo.
“Did you ever have any dealings with him, Mr. Song?”
“Fortunately, no.”
“That's good.”
Well, Song Rok's poetry is praised as being close to perfection.
“Actually, I have a favor to ask of you, Mr. Song.”
“What is it?”
“First, would you take a look at this?”
I handed him the poem that had been written at the place where poet Na Jeong-soo had died.
“Ah... Is this...?”
As soon as he saw it, he looked at me again, as if he had realized what it was.
“That's right. It's the poem that was written at the scene I mentioned earlier.”
I continued.
“I understand that poems contain unique characteristics of their authors.”
“That's right. I don't know much about it myself, but other people can see it.”
“While you are judging the contest, if you find anyone who writes a poem with a mark similar to this one, please let me know.”
“Are you saying that person is the murderer?”
“Yes.”
I nodded at Song Rok's words.
“To be honest, the late poet Na Jeong-soo was not a very good person, but the murderer must be caught, right?”
“I understand.”
The reason I asked him to do this was because I couldn't stay at the competition venue for a long time due to my work.
On the other hand, as a judge, Song Rok would be able to listen to all the poems and make a more accurate judgment.
“Thank you for agreeing to my request.”
“Don't mention it. If I can be of any help, it's only natural that I should help. You saved my life, didn't you?”
The next day, the poetry contest began.
I watched the contest for a while, then headed for the county office. I wanted to check on Namgung Yang.
“You're here?”
The people at the county office, who recognized me, treated me kindly, remembering Master Hyung's request to cooperate with me.
“Where is Mister Namgung Yang?”
“He is in prison.”
Hearing that, I headed for the prison and approached Mister Namgung Yang, who was locked up there.
“Would you like something to eat?”
Noticing my presence, he asked with a dark expression.
“What is it?”
“It's gangjeong.”
I showed him the gangjeong I had brought with me, and when Namgung Yang saw it, his eyes lit up.
“I... I won't refuse.”
He must be hungry.
I handed him the gangjeong, and he took it, opened it, and began to eat.
Crunch, crunch
I looked at him as I listened to the delicious sound of him eating the rice cakes.
If he weren't a member of the Namgung Clan, if he were just a commoner, he wouldn't be so handsome.
With evidence like that, they would have tortured him and forced him to tell the truth.
Just like what happened to Chief Administrator Yoo So-ak before.
It is only right to treat everyone equally, but honestly, that is not easy to do.
That aside, I suddenly had a question.
“Mister Namgung.”
“Yes?”
“With your abilities, you could easily escape from this prison, so why are you staying here so obediently?”
“I can't tarnish my family's name.”
Was it for the sake of his family's honor?
“And...”
He continued in a small voice.
“If I tarnish my family's honor, my father will be very angry. Then my mother will be very sad.”
“I see.”
I crouched down in front of him and said,
“The poetry contest has begun today.”
“I see.”
He was more calm than I expected.
“The first round of the poetry contest isn't over yet, so if your name is cleared, you can still participate.”
“...”
“So, are you still not going to tell me what you were doing that night?”
“...”
He was stubborn.
What on earth happened to make him act like this?
I got up from my seat.
“I'll stop by again tomorrow.”
He didn't answer.
“Liege, a reply has arrived from Cheongya-ru.”
When I returned to the Beijing branch, Jin-yu Musha approached me and handed me a letter.
“I will see you at Yeji-ru tonight.”
Yejiro is one of the taverns in Beijing.
It is especially famous for its lamb gyoza.
Great. It's been a while since we've had a dinner party.
Night fell.
I headed to Yejiro and went up to the top floor.
“Lamb gyoza...”
I ordered the food, and it was served soon after. At that moment, a courtesan approached us.
“May I offer you a cup of tea?”
I sensed her energy and smiled slightly.
“It's been a long time. Chunil.”
He smiled slightly at my words.
“You still have an uncanny intuition.”
The people around us were startled by my words and gasped. He was truly amazing.
He can even fool a master swordsman.
“Have you been in Beijing?”
“Yes, for about half a month. So you want to know about Mister Namgung Yang?”
“Yes.”
“Then I must tell you this first. Mister Namgung Yang's life is in danger.”
“...What?”
What does that mean?