Chapter 671
Chapter 671
Chapter 671. Hwangbo Clan (1)
After parting with Young Master Mun Ju-seong at the ferry dock in Kaifeng, my group and I headed back to Beijing.
Since we were riding Ju River Horses, if it had been only me and the escort warriors, we could have arrived quickly, but with the others in our party, we could not pick up speed.
Because there were the merchant managers I had taken along to handle the matter in Nanjing, as well as the warriors of the Eunpung Unit.
After several days like that, we arrived at the Beijing branch.
“I’m back! Hyung!” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Welcome back!” (Jeong-ho)
Jeong-ho hyung greeted me warmly.
“You worked hard. Did Seon-il and your sister-in-law depart safely?” (Jeong-ho)
“Yes. The captain seemed capable too, and they’re going on a good ship, so they’ll make the trip just fine.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“I see. They’ll have to spend a good few months aboard ship and come back, so I was worried they might be bored.” (Jeong-ho)
“I don’t think you need to worry about that. The attendant was taking a whole bundle of books with them.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Haha, that’s just like Seon-il.” (Jeong-ho)
“And they said he’d be learning the language of the Maraeseo Kingdom from sister-in-law on the way, so would there even be time to be bored?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“I suppose not. But……” (Jeong-ho)
Jeong-ho hyung looked behind me, then tilted his head and asked.
“Where is Young Company Head Seong?” (Jeong-ho)
“Ah…… that’s a bit of a long story. Where is Young Master Yu-jin?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“He is playing with Geon-hyeok.” (Jeong-ho)
It seemed he had deliberately not said anything.
Jeong-ho hyung probably had his own guesses.
“I’ll wash up and tell you.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“All right.” (Jeong-ho)
After washing up at my residence, I briefly stopped by my office.
“You’re back?” (Seo-hyang)
“Yes. I returned safely.” (Eun Seo-ho)
Miss Seo-hyang was handling work in my place, and beside her was…….
“Master! You have returned?” (Yeon Ju-hyeok)
Young Master Yeon Ju-hyeok was working hard.
Perhaps he had gone to Hunan Province and returned, for his expression was bright.
“Did you receive formal permission?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Hahaha. Yes.” (Yeon Ju-hyeok)
“You still seem safer than I expected.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“It is thanks to the letter you gave me, Master. And……” (Yeon Ju-hyeok)
He took a letter from his robe and held it out to me.
“This is a letter Father sent.” (Yeon Ju-hyeok)
I took it and placed it inside my robe.
I should read this later.
“Is the handover going well?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Yes. In a few months, I think he’ll be able to handle it well enough on his own.” (Seo-hyang)
It was already May.
Which meant that in a few months, Miss Seo-hyang would marry me, and the position of first deputy officer would become vacant.
If that position was to be filled without any inconvenience then, he would have to become thoroughly accustomed to the work starting now.
“Then I will go to Jeong-ho hyung’s office.” (Eun Seo-ho)
In Jeong-ho hyung’s office, I sat facing him.
Jeong-ho hyung took a sip of tea and got to the point.
“So, what happened?” (Jeong-ho)
“Mm, that’s……” (Eun Seo-ho)
I explained the process by which I had uncovered the corruption of the merchant managers of Myeongmyeong Trading Company.
“So I went straight to Sichuan.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Well, for something like that, I suppose you wouldn’t have had the leisure to stop by Beijing.” (Jeong-ho)
“That’s why Young Master Yu-jin asked to be sent to Sichuan separately.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“With circumstances like that, it cannot be helped. The people from the escort agency who came with him are still here, so we should have him return with them.” (Jeong-ho)
“That should work.” (Eun Seo-ho)
As it happened, the people of the Changin Escort Agency who had come with Young Company Head Seong from Hubei to Beijing were still here.
With them, we could trust Young Master Yu-jin to their care.
Young Company Head Seong had probably made the request with them in mind as well.
And they too had likely expected that they would escort Young Master Seong Yu-jin all the way to Sichuan.
“Beijing is quiet, right?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Well, if you say it is quiet, it is quiet, and if you say it is noisy, it is noisy. Isn’t that what Beijing is?” (Jeong-ho)
“Hyung, you’ve become a Beijing person now too.” (Eun Seo-ho)
At my words, hyung let out a sigh.
“I still have a long way to go.” (Jeong-ho)
At that moment, Palgap’s voice came from outside.
“Young Master. Master Jin Yeong has arrived.” (Palgap)
“I’ll go out right away.” (Eun Seo-ho)
I rose from my seat and said to Jeong-ho hyung.
“You don’t have anything urgent right now, do you?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Even if I did, what could I do? His Majesty the Emperor comes first.” (Jeong-ho)
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I immediately went to meet Master Jin Yeong.
“This humble merchant greets you, Master.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“You worked hard. His Majesty the Emperor is very pleased with how you handled this matter.” (Jin Yeong)
He was talking about the matter of dealing with Eunuch Ah Jeong this time.
“This humble merchant merely follows His Majesty the Emperor’s command.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Then let us go to the imperial palace. His Majesty calls for you.” (Jin Yeong)
“Understood.” (Eun Seo-ho)
Since I was the one who had sent a letter to Master Jin Yeong through Warrior Ipil in the first place, everything was already prepared.
“May I ask you one thing, Master?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“What is it?” (Jin Yeong)
“This time, a eunuch named Jo Saeng was dispatched to assist His Highness the Crown Prince.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Jo Saeng? Ah…… that man.” (Jin Yeong)
“He is said to be a eunuch, but he had learned imperial palace martial arts. Is he truly a eunuch?” (Eun Seo-ho)
Master Jin Yeong grinned, then instead of answering, asked me back.
“Did he seem trustworthy?” (Jin Yeong)
“They say that though one may know the depths of ten fathoms of water, one cannot know the inside of a person one fathom deep. How could I possibly know that?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“I am asking about your instincts.” (Jin Yeong)
“……At the very least, he did not seem likely to betray us.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Then that is reassuring.” (Jin Yeong)
So does that mean he is a eunuch? Or that he is not?
“As for his identity, try guessing it yourself.” (Jin Yeong)
“Pardon?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“I intend to leave whether you can guess that man’s identity as my own amusement.” (Jin Yeong)
“…….” (Eun Seo-ho)
So that is how you are going to play this?
This strangely makes me feel challenged.
I followed Master Jin Yeong and arrived at the emperor’s office.
And when I offered the emperor the utmost formal greeting, the emperor told me to raise my head.
“Your imperial grace is boundless.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Yes. Did everyone set sail safely?” (Emperor)
“Yes. By Your Majesty’s grace, everyone set sail safely.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“That is a relief.” (Emperor)
“And His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to convey his regards.” (Eun Seo-ho)
At my words, the emperor nodded.
“Good. In any case, you handled things quite well. You fell off a cliff together with that man and barely survived alone…… If you even recovered that man’s corpse in the midst of it, then no one can blame you.” (Emperor)
“…….” (Eun Seo-ho)
“You used your head quite well. So, tell me. Who was it?” (Emperor)
“Pardon? I do not quite understand what you mean.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“You little bastard, where do you think you’re playing dumb? When you dealt with that man, would you have simply taken his life? I would stake this position on the fact that you interrogated him.” (Emperor)
As expected of the emperor.
I prostrated myself on the spot and said.
“This humble merchant was not certain whether it would be proper to speak of that fact here, and so I could not report it rashly. Please rebuke this humble merchant.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“There is something in martial arts called telepathy, is there not?” (Emperor)
“……?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“I permit you to speak through telepathy.” (Emperor)
If he said that much, I had no choice.
Thinking about it, this was probably the reason the emperor had told me to come quickly.
* Then I shall report through telepathy. (Eun Seo-ho)
I conveyed to the emperor through telepathy the information I had obtained from interrogating Eunuch Ah Jeong.
As the emperor listened to my telepathy, he personally wrote the contents on paper.
* That is all. (Eun Seo-ho)
Tap.
The emperor set down his brush.
“I see.” (Emperor)
To be honest, if things were as I reported, it would not have been excessive for him to burst into rage.
But the emperor’s expression did not change at all.
That sent a chill down my spine.
It was not simply because he was skilled at hiding his emotions. It meant that the emperor’s anger was that great.
People like the emperor became colder and more composed the angrier they grew.
“You did well. This is why I cannot help entrusting matters to you. With a single word, you move so efficiently and produce the best possible outcome, and you do not harbor useless greed either.” (Emperor)
“You praise me too highly. This humble merchant is merely a greedy person as well.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Greedy for money, you mean?” (Emperor)
“…….” (Eun Seo-ho)
“What I mean is ambition for power. If I told you here and now to become an official of the imperial palace, what would you say?” (Emperor)
I raised my head and looked at the emperor.
His face was full of mischief, but sincerity was clearly contained in those words.
“Please withdraw that command. It is better for this humble merchant to remain a merchant……” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Hahahaha.” (Emperor)
The emperor laughed heartily.
“By the way, how is the construction of the martial arts academy progressing?” (Emperor)
The topic shifted naturally.
In other words, that meant the emperor would take care of the rats I had mentioned himself.
What a relief.
I had a lot of things to do, so if the emperor made me handle that too, it would become far too exhausting.
I quickly answered the emperor.
“The construction itself is proceeding smoothly. However, given its intended use, we are paying great attention to the work.” (Eun Seo-ho)
A martial arts academy was a place where martial artists learned and trained.
Moreover, martial arts were accompanied by destructive force that could not be produced by ordinary strength.
Therefore, it needed to be built sturdier than ordinary buildings.
There was a reason why the dueling grounds of martial arts competitions like the Dragon and Phoenix Martial Arts Tournament were made at great expense with firm yet tough Blue Steelwood.
“Yes, I am sure you will handle it well enough on your own. I understand.” (Emperor)
It looked as though he was about to dismiss me now, but that would not do!
Considering how much trouble I had gone through dealing with Eunuch Ah Jeong this time, I had to receive compensation for it.
And as a bonus, I also had to be reimbursed for the cost of the silk robe that had ended up soaked in blood back then.
“Your Majesty. In truth, while dealing with that man this time, I suffered some minor injuries. And because I wrapped his corpse in my silk robe and carried it on my back while climbing the cliff, my fingers still hurt.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“…….” (Emperor)
“So, I was wondering, is there anything for me?” (Eun Seo-ho)
At my words, the emperor was briefly flustered.
It seemed he had not expected me to mention compensation this directly.
As I silently waited for the emperor’s answer, the emperor clicked his tongue and grumbled.
“What a tenacious fellow.” (Emperor)
“That is simply how I have always been. Is that not why I have clawed my way all the way up here?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“I wondered if I might somehow get through this without trouble this time, but tsk.” (Emperor)
So that had been his intention in moving the topic to the martial arts academy earlier.
This emperor is like a sly old serpent.
Did he really think I would just let it pass because of that?
A merchant, by nature, must never back down before profit.
“All right, is there anything you want?” (Emperor)
Anything I want?
Of course there is.
“Your Majesty. What this humble merchant wants is……” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Except for me not assigning you work.” (Emperor)
Whew, I did not even hope for that.
From the beginning, the emperor had no intention whatsoever of letting me go.
This is why being too capable is exhausting.
“I know that. What this humble merchant wants is for my name not to be mentioned when you deal with the people I have informed you of.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“What is the reason?” (Emperor)
“If the Martial Alliance learns that I was involved in this matter, they will certainly become wary of me.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Mm…… I suppose that would be true.” (Emperor)
The emperor nodded.
“But that is something that must naturally be done. Protecting one’s vassal is a virtue of a liege. So tell me what you truly want besides that.” (Emperor)
“Then please answer my question.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“What question?” (Emperor)
“When is Elder Hwangbo Hwi’s real birthday?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Hm?” (Emperor)
Perhaps my question felt abrupt, for the emperor asked back.
“Why are you asking about that fellow’s birthday?” (Emperor)
“There are circumstances.” (Eun Seo-ho)
I made a bet with Elder Ghost-Faced Robe.
He said he would give me a gift if I found out his real birthday.
And for some reason, I had the feeling I would have to obtain that gift to know.
At my question, the emperor looked slightly troubled.
Could it be…….
“Is there anything else besides that?” (Emperor)
“Pardon?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“It is embarrassing to say, but in truth, I do not know that fellow’s real birthday either.” (Emperor)
“…….” (Eun Seo-ho)
No, Elder…… how am I supposed to find out a birthday even the emperor does not know?
The emperor continued.
“I also know that he has a separate real birthday. But in the end, he never told me. He said he had forgotten it himself.” (Emperor)
As expected of Elder Ghost-Faced Robe, should I say?
Well, he must have made the bet because it could not be found out easily.
But asking the emperor a question like this was itself an enormously difficult thing.
If even the emperor did not know, then there was no answer in the imperial palace.
In that case, the only way to find it out was to go to the Hwangbo Clan.
Of course, there was no guarantee I could find out just because I went to the Hwangbo Clan, but it was at least the place with the best chance.
“Then, Your Majesty, instead of a question, I will make a request.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Speak.” (Emperor)
“Please issue an imperial edict so that I may naturally visit the Hwangbo Clan. The purpose will be to invite instructors for the martial arts academy.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“That would not be difficult. I understand.” (Emperor)
The emperor readily accepted my request.
“However, that alone would be rather disappointing, so take this.” (Emperor)
A grand eunuch approached me and held out an envelope.
I received the envelope and opened it.
Huh? This is a promissory note?
And for one hundred nyang of silver at that.
“It is the price of the robe.” (Emperor)
“Your imperial grace is boundless.” (Eun Seo-ho)
Huh? Wait…….
Your Majesty?
You had this prepared in advance and still tried to maneuver around not giving it to me?
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The next day.
Young Master Yu-jin left the Beijing branch and headed for Sichuan.
Since it was a long road, I was worried, but there was no reason to doubt the skill of the people of Changin Escort Agency.
And I handled the work that had piled up in my office.
“Young Company Head. This is Jegal Cheon-du.” (Jegal Cheon-du)
“Come in.” (Eun Seo-ho)
Soon, Young Master Jegal Cheon-du, no, Chief Administrator Jegal Cheon-du, came in.
“How far has the construction of the martial arts academy progressed?” (Eun Seo-ho)
“It is about seventy percent complete.” (Jegal Cheon-du)
“I see. Then it may be completed within this year.” (Eun Seo-ho)
“Yes. And this is the list of instructors worth contacting.” (Jegal Cheon-du)
The document he held out to me contained the composition of instructors needed for each class and the names of the recommended individuals.
I looked over those names and nodded.
“Good.” (Eun Seo-ho)
Then it was time to begin recruiting instructors in earnest.
First was the Hwangbo Clan.
Since I had received an imperial edict from His Majesty the Emperor this time, I could go there under that pretext.