Chapter 506
The Youngest Son of the Eunhae Trading Company Chapter 506
Chapter 506. The Critic Murder Case (5)
I took Mister Namgung Yang to a nearby inn.
No matter how highly I thought of him and how much I wanted to do business with him, I didn't want to take him to our Beijing branch.
Not only did I not trust him yet, but I also didn't want anyone from the Namgung Clan to enter the Beijing branch.
Am I being too narrow-minded?
The Namgung Clan's status in the martial arts world is sky-high.
Naturally, its members are arrogant and conceited.
Would people like that look favorably upon a merchant?
They would run around the Beijing branch as they pleased.
I couldn't let that happen.
Furthermore, the Namgung Clan is the family of Namgung Gang, the captain of the Trading Company who tried to kill me in the past, and the Alliance Leader who gave him the order is also the former Clan Head of the Namgung Clan.
To be honest, I wanted to ignore him, but...
As a merchant, I couldn't do that.
Still, I brought him to the best inn I could find.
I feel like I'm lying on a pile of firewood with bile in my mouth. Damn it.
I calmed myself down and looked at the situation objectively.
It was clear that Namgung Yang's spiritual mentor, Elder Namgung Yeon, had been framed by someone from the Namgung Clan.
Furthermore, he had been despised for a long time.
That was why Namgung Yang, despite being a member of the Namgung Clan, did not think highly of the clan.
As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Therefore, it was only right to bring him to my side for revenge.
I smiled gently and said, “This way, please.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
“I sent a messenger to the Namgung Clan's residence. They will come here to pick up Mister Namgung.”
“Thank you.”
He looked hesitant at my words.
He said that he didn't come to Beijing alone for the poetry contest.
Of course, the Clan Head wouldn't send him to Beijing alone.
Whether for protection or surveillance, he would have been accompanied by bodyguards and attendants.
Naturally, the Namgung Clan had a mansion in Beijing, and Mister Namgung Yang was staying there.
That was why the news had spread so quickly to the Namgung Clan.
But... isn't it their duty to at least bring him some food while the Mister they serve is imprisoned?
When I brought him rice cakes before, I noticed that he hadn't been eating properly.
Honestly, the food given to prisoners in prison cannot be considered good.
Even though he is a member of the Namgung Clan, they probably gave him enough to eat, but that wouldn't be enough to fill the stomach of a young man in his prime.
I knew how his attendants and bodyguards treated him.
I could understand the attitude of his attendants and bodyguards.
He was the son of the seventeenth wife, so they wanted to bully him, but they couldn't because he was the Clan Head's favorite...
They probably served him just enough to avoid being reprimanded, and Namgung Yang probably didn't trust them either.
They might try to harm him on the orders of one of his brothers.
Ah! Perhaps Namgung Yang told him not to come to the prison. They could have poisoned his food.
I feel sorry for him.
“Let's talk before the others come.”
“Yes!”
I brought Namgung Yang to the inn so we could talk privately.
It would be awkward to talk at the government office.
We entered a guest room.
He seemed a little uncomfortable in the rather luxurious room.
We sat across from each other at a table.
“First, we agreed not to mention what happened that night that Mister Namgung Yang didn't tell you.”
“What?”
“That night, Mister Namgung went to a nearby brothel, but was rejected by a courtesan and returned home.”
He blinked twice and opened his mouth.
“No, but a brothel...”
“That would explain why you've kept your mouth shut all this time. Just say you were too ashamed to talk about it.”
“...I see.”
“It won't be a big deal. Just say that you were curious because the adults around you liked women, so you went to check it out. Then they'll just think it was a minor transgression and let it go.”
The person who came looking for you this time will probably think the same thing.
All of the Namgung Clan Head's brothers are notorious womanizers.
“He may ask you to go with him to the brothel later, but when that happens, just make up an excuse and avoid him. Tell him that you were embarrassed at the time and that you've decided to stay away from women until you achieve your goal.”
“I understand.”
“If you want to go, you can go.”
“No, I won't! I have no intention of doing that!”
I spent so much money to create that evidence.
Yeah, it's all an investment.
By the way, if Mister Namgung isn't the culprit, then who killed the poet Na Jeong-soo?
A martial artist of the Namgung Clan's caliber...
How will the Namgung Clan react when they find out that one of their own hired a hitman?
At that moment, Seo Woo's voice could be heard from outside the door.
“Liege, someone is here from the Namgung Clan's residence.”
“Tell them to come in.”
With that, he sent telepathy to Mister Namgung.
“Don't forget our agreement and don't make any mistakes. If you make a mistake, I'll be in trouble.”
“I understand.”
.
.
.
The next day.
Master Jin-yeong came to see me.
“Good morning.”
“Yes, good morning.”
However, Master Jin-yeong's expression did not seem to indicate that it was a good morning.
“Is something wrong?”
“People from the Namgung Clan have come.”
“Is that so?”
“So I told them to come to the county office. But they want me to go to the Namgung Clan's residence.”
“What?”
I was speechless for a moment.
So... they want to start a power struggle?
This is ridiculous.
Mister Namgung has been proven innocent.
Even if we bow down and visit them, instead of saying, “Thank you,” they will only say, “Good job.”
“No matter how much they are the younger brother of the Namgung Clan Head, I am also an executive member of the Royal Guards. If we visit them, it will damage the Emperor's reputation... What should we do?”
Hey, Master.
Why are you asking me?
If you keep doing this, I'll be in big trouble.
But I can't just say I don't know after all the trouble I've gone through.
After thinking for a moment, I came up with a brilliant idea.
“Master Jin. Do you still have the analysis data on the victim's wounds?”
“Of course.”
"Send a messenger to them. Tell them, 'The analysis of the wounds of the murdered victim confirms that the martial arts of the Namgung Clan were used. We demand that you take responsibility for this and appear at the provincial office immediately. If you fail to appear, we will consider this a renunciation of your responsibility for the members of the Namgung Clan, and any future members of the Namgung Clan who are arrested will be punished without notification to your family.
At my words, Master Jin's eyes lit up.
“Oh! He told me to come find you if I ever found myself in a difficult situation, and he was right.”
“Who said that?”
“The emperor.”
“...”
I quietly raised my head, looked up at the sky, and took a deep breath.
Then I lowered my head again and said, “I will go to the literary contest venue.”
“Then I will go to the poetry contest venue.”
“No, you should come with me to the county office. I have already informed His Royal Highness, so you don't need to go there.”
He was being thorough in a completely unnecessary situation.
I headed to the county office with Master Jin-yeong.
Then, I wrote a letter to the representative of the Namgung Clan and sent it.
Exactly one hour later.
“Huh! Huh!”
A middle-aged man visited the county office.
“I am Namgung Gunji, an elder representing the Clan Head of the Namgung Clan.”
“Thank you for coming. My name is Jin-yeong.”
Just as I expected.
There was no way they wouldn't come after receiving such a letter.
That's why I said there was no point in engaging in a futile power struggle.
If they had just come willingly, we wouldn't have been made to look so ridiculous.
I suppressed a laugh and greeted them.
“Nice to meet you. I am Eun Seo-ho, the captain of the Eunhae Trading Company.”
“Huh? Why is a merchant here? Can't you tell where you should and shouldn't be?”
In response to the rebuke, Master Jin spoke gently.
“He is known as Seonhae-mi-rang in the martial arts world.”
“...!”
“I asked him to come here so that I could borrow his reputation.”
I added a few words.
“The Alliance Leader kindly gave me the title of Master of the Way.”
Actually, I had been called that before, but that wasn't important now.
The only thing that mattered was to keep his nose down.
“Is that so? My apologies.”
“It's fine.”
Master Jin-yeong said.
“Let's go inside and talk.”
“Yes, let's do that.”
We headed to the reception room of the county office, and a maid brought us tea.
Master Jin-yeong spoke first.
“As I mentioned in my letter, we found traces of the Namgung Clan's martial arts in the murder of the victim.”
He calmly refuted as if he had prepared his response.
“How can you be so sure that it was the martial arts of the main clan?”
“I guess I didn't look very skilled. I have been a swordsman for a long time. And I have fought countless martial artists.”
He continued.
“As you know, the martial arts of the Namgung Clan have distinct characteristics. We examined them closely and determined that the traces were those of the Namgung Clan.”
“Ugh…”
Elder Namgung Gunji was speechless and let out a low groan.
“And I believe that the Namgung Clan must take responsibility for this situation.”
“How do you expect us to take responsibility?”
“Shouldn't you catch the murderer who used the martial arts of the Namgung Clan?”
“...”
After thinking for a moment, Elder Namgung Gun-ji nodded.
“That is something the main family must do.”
Was that the answer he came up with after thinking about it?
It was their responsibility to manage those who had learned the martial arts of the Namgung Clan.
I sent telepathy to Master Jin-yeong.
- Now is the time.
Master Jin-yeong nodded slightly and continued naturally.
“It was difficult to prove the innocence of Mister Namgung, who was accused of being the culprit.”
“I understand. You worked very hard.”
“In fact, it is the duty of the provincial office and us to reveal the true culprit, and we have only fulfilled our duty...”
Master Jin Yeong looked at Elder Namgung and continued.
“Don't you feel anything about this?”
“I don't understand what you mean.”
“Then let me put it more clearly.”
“I'm listening.”
“His Majesty the Emperor is a fair and just man. Even though he may be angry that the martial artists keep invading his territory, he is not a man who would persecute them out of personal feelings.”
Now for the conclusion.
“In other words, there is a reason why His Majesty the Emperor is putting pressure on the martial artists.”
“...”
“Therefore, when His Majesty the Emperor shows mercy, I hope you will not invade our territory.”
What His Majesty the Emperor wants to achieve through this incident.
It is a warning not to mess with him.
“I hope you will convey this message without any misunderstanding.”
They must take the emperor's warning seriously.
The emperor is a man of his word.
If he decides to do so, hundreds of thousands of imperial soldiers will be sent to subdue the martial artists.
Wait a minute... Could it be that they are hanging around the imperial palace in order to control the imperial army?
I didn't want to think so, but the more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt.
Considering what happened in my previous life, this was not something I could just ignore.
What if the series of events that led to the death of the empress, the ascension of one of the concubines to the throne, and the emperor's gradual neglect of his orthodox and unorthodox duties were all part of a plan to gain control of the hundreds of thousands of imperial troops?
Suddenly, I remembered the people Hyung-nim had thrown away when he saw the past.
The meticulousness and secrecy of the plan that began at that time gave me the creeps.
Wow... What scary bastards.
But is that all?
I feel like there must be another purpose.
After finishing their conversation, which was mixed with a little power struggle and threats, the Namgung Clan returned to their mansion in Beijing.
Then, Master Jin told me.
“You worked hard today.”
“You're too kind.”
"Excessive respect is proportional. Thanks to you, I didn't have to bow down to them. If we had done as they wanted, we would have been reprimanded by His Majesty the Emperor.“
Master Jin Yeong trembled.
”Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me shiver.“
I know how you feel.
”By the way, now that Namgung Yang has been acquitted, the investigation is back to square one."
“That's true, but don't be too discouraged. It means that there is a chance to catch the real culprit, doesn't it?”
“That's true.”
“Then I'll be going now.”
I left the government office and headed for the poetry contest venue.
As the representative of the Trading Company that hosted the poetry contest, I had to show my face no matter how busy I was.
There were so many participants in the poetry contest that the first round alone took several days.
The judges must be working very hard.
Namgung Yang was able to participate in the poetry contest tomorrow. Since I came to Beijing with that excuse, I have no choice but to participate in the contest.
“That concludes the third day of the preliminary round.”
When it was time for dinner, the emcee made the announcement.
The participants gathered in small groups to eat and chat.
I exchanged greetings with the judges and finished some discussions before leaving the competition hall.
Then, the poet Song Rok approached me.
“Captain Song.”
“Yes, what is it?”
“I found out.”
Those words made me feel all the fatigue of the day disappear.
I don't know who the culprit is, but I'll make sure they pay dearly for bothering me.