Chapter 667
Chapter 667
Chapter 667. The Emperor’s Secret Order (8)
After meeting Young Captain Seong, I headed to Jocheon Palace.
Because the long-awaited time of settlement had finally arrived.
In truth, I had tried to settle accounts yesterday, but the Crown Prince told me to come again tomorrow, so I was heading to Jocheon Palace today.
I entered the Crown Prince’s office and bent down to greet him with proper courtesy.
“I greet Your Highness the Crown Pri…” (Eun Seoho)
“From now on, you do not need to observe formal courtesy with me.” (Crown Prince)
“However…” (Eun Seoho)
“That is an order.” (Crown Prince)
Then that’s good for me. I had already found it troublesome to perform the courtesies every time I came to visit like this.
I gave a polite bow and sat down in front of the tea table.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince. The reason I have come like this is…” (Eun Seoho)
At that moment, a sheet of paper was spread out before me.
“Is that sufficient?” (Crown Prince)
I took the paper and examined it.
It was a certificate stating that the Eunha Merchant Guild had become the merchant guild that would supply Tieguanyin to Jocheon Palace.
Perhaps because he resembles the Emperor, he handles matters quickly and decisively.
Thinking so, I was just about to roll it up and put it into my sleeve when I noticed a smile forming at the Crown Prince’s lips.
No way?
I unrolled the paper again and examined the contents carefully.
“The supply period is half a year?” (Eun Seoho)
“That is correct.” (Crown Prince)
“But…” (Eun Seoho)
“Think carefully. I said I would select the Eunha Merchant Guild as the Tieguanyin supplier, but I never said for how long I would make it so.” (Crown Prince)
Now that I think about it… that is true.
Feeling anew that the Crown Prince was the Emperor’s son, I ended up smiling without realizing it.
“What is that smile?” (Crown Prince)
But on the contrary, the Crown Prince seemed to feel that my smile was meaningful.
“I am relieved.” (Eun Seoho)
“What do you mean?” (Crown Prince)
“Because seeing how you granted my request while still not letting go of the reins made me feel that the future of this empire is bright.” (Eun Seoho)
“May I take that as praise?” (Crown Prince)
“Yes. It is praise.” (Eun Seoho)
I smiled.
“The fact that you made such a move on the certificate you gave me means that Your Highness the Crown Prince knows well the value of what you possess, and also knows well how to use it.” (Eun Seoho)
At the very least, it meant he would not become a foolish emperor.
“I am not sure whether you need to seek advice from me when you are already this wise.” (Eun Seoho)
At my words, the Crown Prince’s face stiffened slightly.
“Mm… does that mean you intend to give up the position of my advisor?” (Crown Prince)
“Please do not misunderstand. Why would I give up that position? It is something Elder Hwangbo also requested of me, and His Imperial Majesty even gave me this necklace.” (Eun Seoho)
I continued speaking.
“Rather, I thought that I should raise my abilities a little more. Only then will I be able to give Your Highness the Crown Prince better advice, will I not?” (Eun Seoho)
“Huh! You are going to raise your abilities even more from there?” (Crown Prince)
“Yes.” (Eun Seoho)
I nodded.
Honestly, I had been a little careless, but this time, after the Crown Prince landed a blow on me, I felt thrilled.
Rather than because things had not gone as I wanted, should I say it made me think that there were still many mountains to cross in order to make the Eunha Merchant Guild the greatest merchant guild under heaven?
But for some reason, the Crown Prince had an expression as if he was dumbfounded.
“No! Raising your abilities even more from there! Just how much are you planning to take from me?” (Crown Prince)
“Take from you? Your Highness the Crown Prince.” (Eun Seoho)
I smiled gently and shook my head.
“I was merely concerned that at this rate, I might not be able to achieve my goal.” (Eun Seoho)
Then I rolled up the certificate again and placed it inside my robes.
Looking at me, the Crown Prince asked,
“By any chance, are you sulking because I told you to supply only half a year’s worth?” (Crown Prince)
“…” (Eun Seoho)
Honestly, I cannot say that was not part of it, but…
Do you know how much I went through!
“Seeing you pause, it seems that was the reason.” (Crown Prince)
“Ahem. It is not. If our merchant guild supplies high-quality Tieguanyin, we can renew the contract after half a year, can we not?” (Eun Seoho)
I continued speaking.
“I will take it as Your Highness the Crown Prince’s august instruction not to rest on the present, but to continue paying attention.” (Eun Seoho)
The Crown Prince thought for a moment, then held out his hand to me.
“Give me that certificate for a moment.” (Crown Prince)
Though I tilted my head, I took out the certificate I had placed in my robes and held it out.
“Here it is.” (Eun Seoho)
The Crown Prince wrote the character for ten in the middle of the “six months” written on the certificate.
“I look forward to working with you for the next sixty months.” (Crown Prince)
.
.
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After returning to the inn, I asked Geumryeong to send a letter to Father.
“Young Master, I brought the tea.” (Palgap)
Palgap opened the door and came in. On Palgap’s wrist as he set the tea down on the table was the colored-thread bracelet Taoist Cheongsu had given him before.
“You’re wearing that bracelet well.” (Eun Seoho)
“How could I ignore the sincerity of the person who gave this to me? It is absolutely not because I am afraid of ghosts.” (Palgap)
“Right, right.” (Eun Seoho)
I nodded and continued speaking.
“Still, it is a relief. Miss Hahwa does not seem to be afraid of ghosts.” (Eun Seoho)
What she said during a brief conversation before still remained in my memory.
“What is more frightening than ghosts is human malice.” (Hahwa)
I had sympathized with her words.
At my words, Palgap blinked both eyes, then his face soon turned red.
“Is it fun to tease me?” (Palgap)
“Yes.” (Eun Seoho)
“…” (Palgap)
“But would I tease just anyone? I tease you because you are someone I trust and rely on.” (Eun Seoho)
When I gently soothed him, Palgap grinned again.
“By the way, Young Master. What happened with the matter you went to Jocheon Palace for today?” (Palgap)
“Ah… our Eunha Merchant Guild will supply Tieguanyin for sixty months.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is good news. But…” (Palgap)
Palgap tilted his head.
“Why sixty months? Would people not usually call it five years?” (Palgap)
“There are circumstances. Why? Do you want to know?” (Eun Seoho)
“Ah, no.” (Palgap)
After finishing my business like that, I went to meet Young Captain Seong.
“Welcome.” (Young Captain Seong)
“I brought dinner.” (Eun Seoho)
“Thank you.” (Young Captain Seong)
Palgap, who came in after me, placed dumplings and tea on the table.
“Please eat.” (Eun Seoho)
Because he could not properly move around and was only shut inside the inn room, we had decided to have such simple meals.
Because when he ate an ordinary meal, he did not digest it properly.
Watching that, I thought there was no hardship quite like this, but looking at Young Captain Seong that way, I also thought he was able to settle within the top hundred merchant guilds because he was this tenacious.
I ate a dumpling and looked at Young Captain Seong. He seemed to have something on his mind.
“Is something troubling you?” (Eun Seoho)
“Pardon?” (Young Captain Seong)
“You look as if you have something troubling you.” (Eun Seoho)
“Ah, excuse me.” (Young Captain Seong)
He smiled awkwardly and continued speaking.
“In truth, tomorrow I have to replace two out of the three managers, but I have not yet decided whom to replace, so I am in the middle of worrying about it.” (Young Captain Seong)
“I see.” (Eun Seoho)
“If I am going to replace them anyway, replacing the one who is like their leader would be effective, but there is no way to know who is taking that role.” (Young Captain Seong)
He looked at me.
“So, I would like to ask Young Captain Eun for help.” (Young Captain Seong)
“You mean me?” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes. Of course, I am not asking for help without compensation. I will give you one-tenth of the net profit gained from this trade.” (Young Captain Seong)
I could not help being surprised inwardly.
Pepper was a fairly expensive luxury good, and it was an item that left a large profit.
Therefore, one-tenth of the net profit was quite a large sum.
“You do not need to overdo it like that.” (Eun Seoho)
“No. Since I am also a merchant, I know well when I should spend money. And according to my judgment, that time is precisely now.” (Young Captain Seong)
At his firm will, I let out a sigh and picked up a dumpling as I spoke.
“Understood. I will try to find out.” (Eun Seoho)
“Thank you.” (Young Captain Seong)
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.
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After eating dinner with Young Captain Seong, I made preparations for a while and went down to the first floor.
Many people were gathered there, talking in groups of three and five.
Among them were the Mingming Merchant Guild’s managers as well, and they were drinking tea and talking at a small table in the corner.
I approached the dining table where the captains were gathered.
“Young Captain.” (Captain)
“Did you all enjoy your meal?” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes. Compared to meals at sea, meals on land are always a splendid feast.” (Captain)
“At last, departure is the day after tomorrow. Are you nervous?” (Eun Seoho)
“Of course.” (Captain)
“For men of the sea, setting sail is always something that makes the heart tremble, is it not?” (Captain)
“That is true.” (Eun Seoho)
I called Palgap.
“Palgap. Hand them out to everyone.” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes. Understood.” (Palgap)
At my order, Palgap handed one each to everyone from the things inside the basket.
They were wooden tokens shaped like palms.
“What is this?” (Captain)
“I made them to encourage all of you, who are now about to set sail. That token has the value of half a tael of silver.” (Eun Seoho)
“Pardon?” (Captain)
At my words, everyone was startled.
Half a tael of silver was a large sum that could buy half a sack of polished rice during these times of famine.
“But once today passes, its value disappears. So with that money, tonight, you may eat whatever you want within half a tael of silver.” (Eun Seoho)
“May we buy goods as well?” (Captain)
“You may, but that must not exceed half of the total amount.” (Eun Seoho)
“Understood.” (Captain)
“If you write the place of use and amount on the back of the wooden token and bring it back, I will pay later. I have already informed all the shops in Nanjing, so you may use it comfortably.” (Eun Seoho)
“Thank you.” (Captain)
At that moment, the managers from the Mingming Merchant Guild asked,
“Are you giving them to us as well?” (Mingming Manager)
I nodded.
“Once we board the ship together, are we not all comrades?” (Eun Seoho)
“…” (Mingming Manager)
I clapped my hands.
Clap, clap!
“Then everyone, go out and have a pleasant time.” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes!” (Everyone)
They paired off in groups of three and five and left the inn.
They looked delighted by the sudden windfall.
Among them were the three managers of the Mingming Merchant Guild.
There was a reason I sent them out even while making this kind of expenditure.
Because in order to find out about them in detail, they had to be somewhere other than the inn.
And while I was at it, there was also a need to encourage the people of our merchant guild and the captains.
I glanced at that sight and spoke.
“Warrior Seo U, Warrior Jinyu. You two should go out with me for a bit.” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes.” (Warrior Seo U)
“We will follow you.” (Warrior Jinyu)
. . .
That evening.
The shops around the inn where the Eunha Merchant Guild was staying rejoiced at the sudden visit of customers.
“Please come this way!” (Waiter)
“At our restaurant, we will give you additional fish-fragrant tofu.” (Waiter)
People were led here and there by the waiters calling for customers.
Among them were the three managers of the Mingming Merchant Guild.
“What kind of windfall is this!” (Mingming Manager)
“Where should we go?” (Mingming Manager)
At that moment, someone passed by and spoke.
“They say the most famous pleasure house in Nanjing is Ok Su Pavilion.” (Passerby)
“That’s right. They say if you come all the way here and don’t go there, it’s as good as never having visited Nanjing.” (Passerby)
At that conversation, their eyes shone.
In truth, Ok Su Pavilion was a place they also knew.
It was extremely expensive, so ordinarily, they could not even look at it.
But since money that would let them go there had appeared like this, they gathered their courage and headed to Ok Su Pavilion.
And each of them even took courtesans beside them and began having an enjoyable time.
“By the way, Manager Im. It seems the higher-ups noticed what happened last time. Is it really all right?” (Mingming Manager)
“So what if they noticed? There is no evidence.” (Manager Im)
“Well, that is true.” (Mingming Manager)
“If the quality of the pepper is not good this time either, we will be held accountable…” (Mingming Manager)
“Can’t we just gloss it over by saying the weather was poor and the harvest was bad?” (Manager Im)
“Well, since it is a matter in a faraway country, they will not be able to find out easily. Even if it is discovered, it will be after we have already taken plenty.” (Mingming Manager)
They were dreaming of making a big profit once again like that.
. . .
I laughed softly at the voices coming from below.
Right now, Warrior Seo U, Warrior Jinyu, and I had infiltrated Ok Su Pavilion.
In truth, this place was also where the intelligence of our Eunha Merchant Guild gathered.
The ceiling of each room was decorated with silk, and this too was intentional.
So that those eavesdropping from here could not be seen.
And the people who had lured them into coming here and the courtesans beside them were also intelligence agents of our merchant guild.
What they were drinking right now was a beverage close to alcohol.
There are always loopholes everywhere.
And one of those loopholes was fermented fruit juice.
If grapes or apples and such were aged together with sugar, they became a liquid with a sweet and sour taste, and if one mixed that with water and drank it, one became tipsy, as if drinking alcohol.
Perhaps because they felt as if they were drinking alcohol for the first time in a while, or because their tension had loosened, they were prattling on about secret matters.
And within that conversation, I could tell that the one called Manager Im was the leader among them.
This should be enough to earn one-tenth of the Mingming Merchant Guild’s profits from the pepper trade.
On the way back to the inn.
One person was standing near the entrance of the inn where we were staying.
But the presence I felt from him was unusual.
“He is a supreme peak master.” (Warrior Jinyu)
At Warrior Jinyu’s words, I nodded slightly.
I carefully headed toward the inn.
And as the distance between him and me grew closer, I sensed a familiar energy from him.
The unique energy of a person who had learned imperial palace martial arts.
“He is a person of the imperial palace.” (Eun Seoho)
I said so to my escort warriors by telepathy and approached him.
If an imperial palace master of that level had come here… it seemed he had come looking for me, but what was going on?
He also looked at me, turned his head, and approached me.
“You are Young Captain Eun Seoho.” (Imperial Palace Master)
“Yes. That is correct, but…” (Eun Seoho)
“I have brought His Imperial Majesty’s sacred decree.” (Imperial Palace Master)
At those words, I immediately knelt and received a scroll from him.
I opened the scroll.
“…” (Eun Seoho)
The contents of the scroll were truly simple and clear.
“Once your business is done, stop dawdling and come running.” (Emperor)
He must be in a hurry.