Yeong Gu-sang looked like he’d bitten into a rotten cucumber. Yeong Gu-man tilted his head at him.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Well, Brother. I have some urgent work to handle right now, so I don’t think I can go.”
“What are you talking about? I already checked with your superior. You don’t have any urgent work.”
“…”
Seeing Yeong Gu-sang struck speechless by how thorough he had been, Yeong Gu-man said,
“Right. When our youngest said he was going to walk the path of a brewer, you raised more of a fuss than anyone. I opposed him too, of course, but when I thought about it again, I realized it wasn’t really something worth opposing so strongly.”
Yeong Gu-man continued.
“Does it really matter what he does or where he does it, as long as he doesn’t do anything wicked and keeps himself healthy? And isn’t this what family is for? Showing up at times like this to cheer him on can give him strength.”
Without knowing what Yeong Gu-sang was feeling inside, Yeong Gu-man coaxed him along.
“Come now. Let’s get going.”
“…”
“Move.”
“Yes…”
It was the second day of the Liquor Tasting Competition.
I apologized to the Crown Prince and Merchant Lord Go for being away from my seat for so long yesterday.
They both acted as though it was nothing worth mentioning.
“There’s no need to apologize. I heard there was some trouble. Was it resolved?”
“Yes. It was handled well.”
“That is good to hear. Don’t let it weigh on you.”
“Thank you. Today, I’ll make sure to stay until the very end.”
Today was the day Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin would enter his liquor.
When I glanced over to where he was, he was staring straight ahead and taking deep breaths, clearly nervous.
That wasn’t something I could do anything about.
Besides, once some time passed, his nerves would settle on their own.
There were no side dishes on the table in front of them.
That was because White Heron Wine had a cool, refreshing taste all on its own.
Also, even if one drank quite a bit of it without any food, it did not sit heavily in the stomach.
That made it the perfect liquor to drink in place of tea while chatting.
When it came time for the Tasting Competition to begin, the invited guests began moving around at random and evaluating the liquors.
“Mm…”
“Hmmm…”
The invited guests who tasted White Heron Wine wrote their evaluations with unreadable smiles on their faces.
The Provincial Administration Commissioner of Guizhou also let out an ambiguous hum.
“This is making me anxious.”
“What is?”
Warrior Dong Hyeok-su had come to stand beside me to cheer for Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin.
“I can’t tell whether those subtle reactions from the people tasting his liquor are positive or negative.”
I smiled at that.
“You don’t need to worry. From what I can see, they’re positive.”
“How can you tell?”
“They’re all smacking their lips, aren’t they? It means they want another cup.”
“Ah!”
At my words, Warrior Dong Hyeok-su nodded.
Just then, he looked toward one place and tilted his head.
“What are those brothers doing here…”
“Is something the matter?”
“Over there.”
Where he pointed, I saw Young Lord Yeong Gu-sang, whom I had seen yesterday. One look at his face made it obvious he had been dragged here against his will.
And beside him stood a huge man who resembled him, but had an even sturdier frame.
“They’re Gu-jin’s eldest brother and second brother.”
So the huge man was the eldest brother. If I remembered correctly, I heard yesterday that his name was Gu-man. And wasn’t he supposed to be away on official business?
Perhaps they noticed us then, because they approached.
“Are you Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho?”
“Ah, yes.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Yeong Gu-man, Gu-jin’s eldest brother.”
At that introduction, Yeong Gu-sang beside him reluctantly greeted me as well.
“I am Yeong Gu-sang, Gu-jin’s second brother.”
“I am Eun Seo-ho, Deputy Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
After exchanging greetings with me, Young Lord Yeong Gu-man turned his head and greeted Warrior Dong Hyeok-su.
“It’s been a long time.”
“It has. But what brings you here?”
“I came to cheer for Gu-jin.”
“When Gu-jin said he would become a brewer, weren’t you the one causing a scene and saying you’d cut ties with him? And now you’re here to cheer him on?”
“I’ve reflected on it.”
“…”
At that honest answer, Warrior Dong could no longer treat him coldly.
“After thinking it over, I realized that as long as he doesn’t do anything wicked and keeps himself healthy, it doesn’t really matter what he does.”
“It would be nice if your father felt the same way.”
“You misunderstand. Father is also supporting Gu-jin’s participation in this Tasting Competition.”
“What?”
But something about that seemed strange.
I carefully spoke up.
“As far as I know, Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin’s father is currently in Guizhou Province.”
“That is correct.”
“Wouldn’t it take quite some time for news to travel all the way there?”
At that, Young Lord Yeong Gu-man answered as though it were no great matter.
“Surely you didn’t think we had simply abandoned Gu-jin, did you? Whether we like it or not, he is a member of the Seonju Yeong Family. From the beginning, Father secretly assigned someone to him to protect him.”
“What?”
Young Lord Yeong Gu-sang asked back in shock.
“Father assigned someone to him?”
“He did.”
I asked Young Lord Yeong Gu-man,
“I assume it wasn’t only for protection, but also for surveillance.”
“…I cannot deny that.”
He gave a bitter smile.
“What our family hates most are villains who rot this country from within. The second thing we hate most is someone giving up easily before accomplishing anything.”
“…”
“If he had become a villain, our family would have stepped forward and cut him down ourselves. And if he had left the family only to come crawling back right away, we truly would have cut ties with him.”
“In other words, you wanted to see whether he had goodness and resolve?”
“Something like that. Though in the end, I suppose it became rather harsh on him.”
“Then someone must still be watching him even now.”
“That is correct. Thanks to that, we heard how he was struggling to scrape by under the Prohibition Decree and how he then met a good sponsor in the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
He cupped his fist and bowed his head to me.
“So, as Gu-jin’s brother, I came to express my gratitude.”
I also cupped my fist in return.
“Please don’t say that. We are sponsoring him for the Eunhae Merchant Group’s profit because he is a brewer who makes good liquor. But I heard you were away on official business. Did you hurry back just for today?”
“Yes. As soon as I submitted my memorial report, I left the Imperial Palace and came straight here.”
At that moment, Young Lord Yeong Gu-man looked at Young Lord Yeong Gu-sang beside him and tilted his head.
“Mm? Are you ill? Why do you suddenly look like that?”
And for good reason. His face had turned deathly pale in an instant.
I looked at that face and smiled inwardly.
It seemed he had caused trouble without knowing there was someone watching.
The truth was, I already knew someone had been assigned to Master Yeong Gu-jin.
There had been someone strangely loitering around Master Yeong Gu-jin’s brewery.
And that person had followed him all the way here too.
But he didn’t seem dangerous, and his Qi felt somewhat similar to Master Yeong Gu-jin’s, so I had pretended not to notice…
As expected, it was someone his family had assigned.
I had sensed that Qi the last time I found Master Yeong Gu-jin being detained as well.
That person must have been watching even while he was detained.
He probably hadn’t stepped in because the line had not yet been crossed.
Even so, the reason I had immediately rescued Master Yeong Gu-jin was because of the Liquor Tasting Competition.
I didn’t have the time to wait for that side to make a move.
“B-Brother, I’ll be going now. My stomach suddenly hurts…”
“Go on, then.”
Watching him hurry away, I felt oddly satisfied.
Tsk, tsk. That’s what you get for doing something like that.
Young Lord Yeong Gu-man watched the Tasting Competition for a while, then left, saying he had work to do.
Today’s Tasting Competition ended without any particular incident.
That evening.
Although we had returned after the Tasting Competition ended, the brewers could not let down their guard.
All the remaining liquor had been collected by the Imperial Palace, but they still had to protect the ingredients used to make the liquor.
For the sake of the brewers, I had the Eunpoong Division Escort Guards stand watch from the night before the Tasting Competition until the morning after it ended.
It was both to tell them to rest well and do their best at the competition, and to thank them for their hard work.
Because of that, Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin and his group could rest properly tonight.
“Aaah!”
“Uuugh!”
After they washed up and entered their rooms, I chuckled when I heard the groans they let out as they collapsed onto their beds.
Well, they had worked hard today.
And judging by the invited guests’ reactions, it seemed all right to expect a good result.
I had just finished encouraging the people who would be entering their liquor in tomorrow’s tasting and was about to leave the brewers’ quarters.
“Young Master! A guest has arrived. He said you would know him if I told you he was Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin’s eldest brother, Yeong Gu-man.”
A little while later.
I received him.
“Welcome.”
“We meet again. I apologize for visiting at such a late hour.”
“It’s fine. It’s not that late.”
As we exchanged greetings, I caught a faint metallic smell.
This is the smell of blood, isn’t it?
Ah… It seems he heard about what Young Lord Yeong Gu-sang did.
If the smell of blood was this strong, he must have beaten him properly.
“May I see my younger brother?”
“Of course. Please come in.”
I guided him to the Reception Room and ordered someone to bring Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin.
Then I chatted with Young Lord Yeong Gu-man inside the Reception Room.
A little while later.
Master Yeong Gu-jin entered the Reception Room.
“I heard you called for me.”
“Yes.”
Master Yeong Gu-jin flinched when he saw Young Lord Yeong Gu-man.
“B-Brother…”
“It’s been a long time.”
“Yes.”
I quickly said to Master Yeong Gu-jin,
“I couldn’t tell you earlier, but Young Lord Yeong Gu-man came today to cheer you on.”
“Ah, yes. I heard from Hyeok-su.”
“I am glad you achieved results so quickly! Father was pleased when he heard about you as well.”
“…”
“And I’m sorry.”
Master Yeong Gu-jin was startled when Young Lord Yeong Gu-man lowered his head.
“B-Brother! Why are you doing this?”
“I heard what Gu-sang did to you while I was away.”
“…”
“It was undeniably my fault that I failed to correct his insolent behavior in Father’s absence.”
“B-Brother…”
“I will make sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
He straightened his posture and said to him,
“It’s good to see you again, living kindly and in good health.”
Then he turned his head and politely greeted me.
“I apologize for troubling you at such a late hour. Please continue to look after my younger brother.”
With that, Young Lord Yeong Gu-man left the Beijing Branch.
After seeing him off, on the way back to the quarters, Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin said to me,
“About my second brother… Hyeok-su must have told my eldest brother, right?”
“No.”
I shook my head.
“I heard earlier that your father had already assigned someone to you for your sake.”
“What?”
I told him what I had heard from Young Lord Yeong Gu-man earlier.
After listening to me, he slowly nodded.
“Ah, so that was what happened?”
He looked moved.
It seemed he was deeply touched that the father he thought had abandoned him had, in truth, never abandoned him at all.
“But… will my second brother be all right?”
At that question, I carefully asked,
“Even after he detained you and made such an unreasonable demand, you’re still worried about him?”
“It’s not that… I’m worried because he’s my brother…”
He scratched his cheek and said,
“When my eldest brother gets angry and throws a punch, it doesn’t just knock out teeth. It breaks jawbones.”
Ah… that was worth worrying about.
So that was why I smelled blood earlier.
“If what you said is true, my father will find out as well. But if Father hits him, his jawbone might not just break. It might shatter.”
At that point, he’d need to take sick leave.
.
.
.
Time passed, and at last, the first round of evaluations for the Tasting Competition came to an end.
And just as I expected, Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin’s White Heron Wine was selected as one of the hundred liquors.
Now it was time for them to show the liquor-making process and have the liquor made on the spot evaluated.
Making liquor could take anywhere from half a month at the shortest to over a month at the longest.
For an accurate evaluation, a separate space was prepared for the one hundred breweries.
That place was none other than the Eunhae Merchant Group’s Beijing Branch.
Since the breweries eliminated in the first evaluation had left one after another, there was now room to spare.
Also, there were not many places that could house this many people for half a month to a month.
Among the breweries I sponsored, twenty places remained, including Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin, and from Hangzhou, Moon Wine Pavilion and two other places remained. In total, twenty-three places were left.
Ten breweries under the Cheongsu Merchant Group also remained.
What surprised me was that there were more breweries making fine liquors than I had expected.
I had gathered as many breweries as I could, but there were still many places I had not managed to sponsor.
And so, the final tasting began.
I watched Master Yeong Gu-jin, who was busily moving around to brew his liquor.
He looked focused, but somehow, his expression seemed extremely light and refreshed.
Maybe it was because his family had acknowledged him.
The process of brewing liquor was extremely tedious and exhausting.
Not a single step could be handled carelessly, and the brewers poured everything they had into making their liquor.
Unless there was some special problem, most of the liquors that passed the first test would be included among the Hundred Great Wines of the Empire.
Among them, the top ten liquors would be given priority and included in this round of trade with foreign countries.
Of course, in the case of the Eunhae Merchant Group, we had trade rights with foreign countries, so even if a liquor did not make it into the top ten, we could still load it onto our ships.
Even knowing that, the reason they were working so hard was probably because of their pride and self-respect as brewers.
While the brewers were brewing their liquor, I was handling work in my office.
The Liquor Tasting Competition was certainly important, but I couldn’t neglect my duties as Chief of the Virtuous Wind Department.
And there was also the Poetry and Prose Competition coming up right afterward.
“Deputy Merchant Lord!”
Deputy Gal Hyeon entered the office and called out to me.
Because of Warrior Dong, Young Lady Seohyang was practically barricaded inside my office, and Deputy Gal Hyeon was in charge of communication with the outside.
“What is it?”
“We just received word that the liquor has been completed, and they are preparing the tasting.”
“Which liquor?”
“It is White Heron Wine.”
I quickly wrapped up the work I was doing and headed to the tasting hall prepared inside the Beijing Branch.
The invited guests who had received word were already entering one by one.
Soon, the evaluation of the liquor’s taste began, and Master Brewer Yeong Gu-jin poured the prepared liquor into cups.
Drip, drip.
Huh?
For a moment, I could not help being shocked.
Why… does that liquor contain the Qi of the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art?
–TL Notes–
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