Chapter 669
Chapter 669
Chapter 669. Yeo Chun Inn (2)
I put my doubt aside and approached him.
“This lowly merchant, Eun Seoho, has come to escort His Highness the Crown Prince.” (Eun Seoho)
“I will inform him inside.” (Jo Saeng)
He informed those inside that I had come, and the Crown Prince’s voice was heard from within.
“Please wait a moment. I will come out soon.” (Crown Prince)
While waiting for the Crown Prince, I spoke to him.
“I did not know when we met last time, but you were a eunuch.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is correct. Since Eunuch Ajeong suffered an unexpected accident, there was not one eunuch short to assist His Highness the Crown Prince?” (Jo Saeng)
“Ah, so you came to fill that position.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is correct. I came to Nanjing by His Imperial Majesty’s command to fill that vacancy.” (Jo Saeng)
I thought for a moment, then asked.
“Are you Eastern Depot?” (Eun Seoho)
If he was a eunuch and had skill of this level, the only answer was the Eastern Depot.
However, he did not answer that question and said,
“My introduction was late. I am called Jo Saeng.” (Jo Saeng)
I returned his greeting and thought inwardly.
As expected, that is work handling worthy of His Imperial Majesty.
Sending an expert of this level meant he intended to strengthen the Crown Prince’s guards.
Through the incident with Eunuch Ajeong this time, he must have realized that their claws had reached even the Crown Prince.
“I am this lowly merchant, Eun Seoho.” (Eun Seoho)
While returning the greeting, I examined his energy.
I did not feel any energy of the Asura Blood Cult from him, nor any other unpleasant energy.
The energy of pure imperial palace martial arts…
Huh?
But did eunuchs not have martial arts they learned separately?
And yet, the energy of imperial palace martial arts…
Of course, there was no law saying eunuchs could not learn imperial palace martial arts, but it should be an extremely unusual case.
Ordinary people could not learn the martial arts of the eunuchs, but eunuchs could learn imperial palace martial arts.
That was the advantage of imperial palace martial arts.
Is there a reason he did not clearly answer when I asked if he was Eastern Depot?
Only eunuchs can become Eastern Depot, after all.
At that moment, the door opened and the Crown Prince came out.
“This lowly merchant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince. Long live, long live, long, long live!” (Eun Seoho)
The Crown Prince told me not to observe formalities with him, but I could not go that far in front of everyone watching.
“Rise.” (Crown Prince)
“Your grace is boundless.” (Eun Seoho)
“Ah, you must be meeting Eunuch Jo Saeng for the first time?” (Crown Prince)
“We exchanged greetings just now.” (Eun Seoho)
“I see. Then let us go.” (Crown Prince)
“Yes.” (Eun Seoho)
In the meantime, the others who had finished preparations were also waiting for the Crown Prince in front of Jocheon Palace.
When they saw the Crown Prince, they greeted him politely with proper courtesy.
At that, the Crown Prince ordered them to rise, then spoke to those who would board the ships.
“Today, all of you will heed the command of my father, the great ruler of this empire, and head respectively to the Great Viet Kingdom and the Maraeseo Kingdom. It will be a difficult and arduous road. But I believe that all of you will complete the missions given to you.” (Crown Prince)
The Crown Prince caught his breath, then continued speaking.
“Please go through some hardship for the empire.” (Crown Prince)
“We shall carry out the command even at the cost of our lives.” (Group)
“Try not to be hurt, and do not die. And take care of your health. Then let us depart.” (Crown Prince)
“Yes.” (Group)
Thus, the Crown Prince took the lead, and everyone followed behind him.
Unless it was a special case, walking ahead of the Crown Prince was against the laws of propriety.
“Young Captain Eun, guide us.” (Crown Prince)
“Yes.” (Eun Seoho)
One of those special cases was when one had to guide the way.
But even then, one had to stand beside him, and could not stand directly in front of the Crown Prince.
A short while later.
We arrived at the port.
The only ones out at the port were the captains of each ship.
Because the sailors were preparing to begin the voyage at their respective posts.
Before, an official of the Ministry of Rites had read the ritual prayer and conducted the rite, but the Crown Prince was present here.
Therefore, the Crown Prince conducted the rite.
He read the ritual prayer, then burned it and sent it flying into the sky.
The ritual prayer flew high.
Seeing that, everyone rejoiced, saying it was an auspicious sign.
After the rite ended, people began boarding the ships they each had to ride.
I approached Brother Seonil and Princess Sinaa.
“Thanks to you, I have been able to meet my father-in-law like this. Thank you.” (Seonil)
“It is nothing. I moved because it benefits me as well.” (Eun Seoho)
“I knew you would say that.” (Seonil)
“It will be a long journey. Please take good care of your health and return safely.” (Eun Seoho)
“Understood. I will go and return safely.” (Seonil)
After exchanging farewells with Brother Seonil, I turned my head toward Princess Sinaa.
“And Si… Sister-in-law, please also go and return safely.” (Eun Seoho)
“Thank you.” (Princess Sinaa)
When I stepped back, the temporary gangplank was pulled into the ship.
Boooooo-!
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The sound of the horn and the drums was loud.
It was announcing departure.
I saw them off while waving my hand, and like that, all the ships advanced toward the sea.
After confirming that the ships had gone farther away, I headed to the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness the Crown Prince, this lowly merchant will now return to Beijing.” (Eun Seoho)
“So soon?” (Crown Prince)
“Yes, I have many things piled up to do in Beijing.” (Eun Seoho)
“Well, you certainly have set many things in motion in Beijing.” (Crown Prince)
The Crown Prince nodded.
“Please return safely. And thank you for many things.” (Crown Prince)
“This lowly merchant merely fulfilled the duty given to me.” (Eun Seoho)
“When you return, you will meet Father, so please convey my regards to him.” (Crown Prince)
“Yes.” (Eun Seoho)
After finishing my farewell with the Crown Prince like that, I returned to the inn.
Those who had come with me from Beijing to Nanjing had finished preparing to leave.
With the managers and sailors all gone, the inn felt somewhat empty.
And Young Captain Seong of the Mingming Merchant Guild and his party had already left for Sichuan yesterday.
Because the matter was urgent, they had no leisure to stop by Beijing.
So they had made a contract with an escort agency of high reputation and credibility in Nanjing and headed straight to Sichuan.
Just in case, I had some of the Eunpung Unit warriors accompany them as well.
“Thank you for using our inn.” (Innkeeper)
“Thanks to you, we stayed comfortably.” (Eun Seoho)
“Then, we will await the day we can serve you again.” (Innkeeper)
Like that, we left the inn.
By the way, the owner of this inn is quite a decent person.
Even though we had stayed at this inn for quite a long time, no rumors at all spread through the marketplace.
In other words, it meant he was tight-lipped and managed those under him well.
His ability to operate an inn was excellent too…
We need to hire someone like this as a person of our merchant guild.
There was still no branch of the Eunha Merchant Guild in Nanjing.
After all, it was not far from the headquarters in Hubei, and there had been no business we were doing here.
But Nanjing was also a place where there was a need to place a branch.
It was important enough in the empire to be called the second capital, and now the Crown Prince would reside there permanently.
Also, it would become the center of trade with foreign countries.
And personally, there was also a reason Nanjing was important to me.
That it was not far from Anhui Province, where the Namgung Clan was located.
There was also the fact that the leader of the Baekcheon Merchant Guild was a person of the Namgung Clan, but the Martial Alliance Leader was also a person of the Namgung Clan.
I should also suggest to Father that we establish a Nanjing branch.
And I should push forward with recruiting the innkeeper of the inn where we stayed.
Since he had run an inn business there for a long time, would the intelligence unit side be good?
Though that too is only if that innkeeper accepts.
Like that, we headed north from Nanjing and arrived in Kaifeng.
Kaifeng was also one of the ancient capitals and was quite a prosperous place.
It was also one of the centers of the Yellow River basin.
“Young Master, should we not look for an inn to stay at tonight?” (Palgap)
“We should.” (Eun Seoho)
Just as I nodded at Palgap’s words and was about to choose a suitable inn.
“Mm?” (Eun Seoho)
I saw a familiar figure ahead.
“Oh?” (Mun Juseong)
He also seemed to recognize me and approached.
“Who is this? Is this not Young Captain Eun Seoho of the Eunha Merchant Guild?” (Mun Juseong)
“What brings Innkeeper Mun here?” (Eun Seoho)
“Innkeeper? Please just call me Mister. The innkeeper is still Elder Yeon.” (Mun Juseong)
The one I happened to meet was Mister Mun Juseong.
As the seventeenth son of the Deukhaeng Merchant Guild, he was a person with whom I had formed a connection while he was trying to obtain the Fuxi Spirit Fruit.
The Five-Colored Ice Crystal Flower he had been searching for was still in my treasury.
Looking at him, who had greatly expanded Yeo Chun Inn after I introduced it to him, I learned that he had not become a great person simply because he was lucky.
“What brings you here?” (Eun Seoho)
“Ah… I came to inspect our inn’s Kaifeng branch.” (Mun Juseong)
“Kaifeng branch?” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes. We established a branch of Yeo Chun Inn here in Kaifeng.” (Mun Juseong)
So Yeo Chun Inn had grown that much already.
“Congratulations.” (Eun Seoho)
“Thank you.” (Mun Juseong)
“Is your mother well?” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes. She is comfortable.” (Mun Juseong)
“Are Elder Wandering Sword Emperor and Elder Padu Papa also well?” (Eun Seoho)
At my telepathy, he naturally nodded.
“They are safe and sound.” (Mun Juseong)
“That is a relief.” (Eun Seoho)
At that moment, Mister Mun Juseong looked at me and spoke.
“You seem to be looking for an inn right now. Am I correct?” (Mun Juseong)
“Yes. That is right.” (Eun Seoho)
“Then may I ask you for a favor?” (Mun Juseong)
“What is it?” (Eun Seoho)
“I will pay the inn fee, so please stay at the Kaifeng branch of Yeo Chun Inn tonight. And please give me advice on any shortcomings.” (Mun Juseong)
“You mean a mystery guest.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is correct.” (Mun Juseong)
A mystery guest was a term that referred to an inspector disguised as a guest.
A fairly large merchant guild like the Eunha Merchant Guild could not do everything alone, so there was no choice but to entrust work to trustworthy people.
But when that happened, there were bound to be some among them who did their work terribly.
Therefore, an inspector would disguise themselves as a guest and inspect the place.
And what Mister Mun asked of me was precisely that mystery guest.
“With Young Captain Eun’s eye, I can trust it.” (Mun Juseong)
“Thank you for evaluating me so highly.” (Eun Seoho)
I could not miss an opportunity to stay at an inn with someone else’s money.
Moreover, if it was a branch established by Mister Mun, I was interested as well.
“Understood. I will become your mystery guest.” (Eun Seoho)
“Thank you.” (Mun Juseong)
“But our group has quite a few people.” (Eun Seoho)
“That is better. It means I can see their ability to respond.” (Mun Juseong)
.
.
.
Half a sijin later.
I stood in front of an inn.
Yeo Chun Inn – Kaifeng Branch
Seeing the signboard, I ended up laughing softly.
How did the two elders react to Mister Mun Juseong’s proposal to open a branch of Yeo Chun Inn in Kaifeng?
They probably said why bother doing something so troublesome, while unknowingly supporting him both materially and morally in every way.
Because they are that kind of people.
Should I go see them next time? I miss them.
As I thought that, a waiter quickly ran out from inside.
“Welcome! Will you be staying the night?” (Waiter)
“Yes. That is right.” (Eun Seoho)
“I will escort you this way.” (Waiter)
Then he shouted toward one side.
“Stable! Horses here!” (Waiter)
“Yes!” (Stablehand)
Those who had run over like arrows from the stable side received our horses and headed to the stable.
The moment we entered the inn, we could not help being impressed.
The inside of the inn was very clean, as if we had come to the main branch of Yeo Chun Inn.
“Would you like to eat first?” (Waiter)
At that, I answered.
“I would like to wash first.” (Eun Seoho)
“Understood. Then please come this way. The guestroom division will guide you to your rooms.” (Waiter)
Guestroom division?
I asked him.
“Is there a separate guestroom division?” (Eun Seoho)
“Yes. At our Yeo Chun Inn, the guestroom division and reception division are separated.” (Waiter)
They mean to give professionalism to the waiters’ work.
A waiter from the guestroom division asked me,
“How many people are there?” (Guestroom Waiter)
“Twelve in all.” (Eun Seoho)
“How would you like the rooms? There are four types: two-person rooms, three-person rooms, four-person rooms, and six-person rooms.” (Guestroom Waiter)
“How much are the prices?” (Eun Seoho)
At my question, the waiter told me the prices for each guestroom.
I laughed softly inside.
Because Mun Juseong had given me enough money for all of us to stay in two-person rooms.
“Please give us six two-person rooms.” (Eun Seoho)
“Please take these keys.” (Guestroom Waiter)
The waiter gave us keys with room numbers attached, and the waiter standing beside us spoke.
“I will guide you to your rooms.” (Guestroom Waiter)
A short while later,
After the escort warriors inspected the room, I went inside the room.
After checking the bedding, I nodded in satisfaction.
“Wow! The room is very clean.” (Palgap)
“I think so too.” (Eun Seoho)
Usually, when one went to an inn, dust would remain in the corners and places that hands did not reach easily.
But this place was clean without any such places.
Moreover, the bedding was neat without a single stain. At this level, the cleanliness of the guestroom facilities passed.
Then shall I go bathe?
This place had no bath in the guestrooms.
Instead, there were private baths beside the shared bath, and I washed there.
That place too was very clean, so I liked it.
In the midst of that, I discovered one unusual thing.
It was scented soap placed in the bath, and its fragrance was quite good, while its cleansing effect was also very good.
If I, who had grown accustomed to high-quality fragrances, praised it, that meant it was a fragrance of fairly good quality.
After washing, I went down to the first-floor dining hall and asked the waiter about the scented soap.
“Ah, that scented soap is unique to our Yeo Chun Inn.” (Waiter)
“Is that so?” (Eun Seoho)
“It was made by commissioning an outstanding fragrance artisan and soap artisan, and all the guests praise it.” (Waiter)
“It had a fairly good scent and washed well.” (Eun Seoho)
“Thank you for seeing it favorably. Then, will you order your meal?” (Waiter)
“Yes. Are there any special dishes at this inn?” (Eun Seoho)
“If you have come to Kaifeng, you must taste xiaolongbao. And we also have carp dishes and a golden-colored chicken dish.” (Waiter)
“There are quite a few.” (Eun Seoho)
“Kaifeng is also a place where gourmands from all over the empire gather, so our inn has prepared a variety of dishes.” (Waiter)
“In that case, xiaolongbao, a carp dish, and the chicken dish, and…” (Eun Seoho)
After ordering food like that, I carefully observed the waiters.
Just how did they train them that every one of them works with all their effort?
It would be nice if we could apply that kind of training to our merchant guild as well.
It was then.
Crash!
Along with the sharp sound of a dish breaking, someone’s shout was heard.