After parting ways with Young Lord Mun Ju-seong at the Gaebong docks, my group and I headed back to Beijing.
If it had only been me and my Escort Guards riding our River-Crossing Horses, we could have made the trip in no time, but with the rest of our party in tow, we couldn't travel at full speed.
We still had the supervisors and Eunpoong Division warriors I'd brought along to handle matters in Nanjing.
A few days later, we arrived at the Beijing Branch.
“I'm back, Brother!”
“Welcome home!”
Brother Jeong-ho greeted me warmly.
“You've been through a lot. Did Seon-il and your cousin-in-law set sail safely?”
“Yeah. The captain looked capable, and they're traveling on a good ship, so I'm sure they'll be fine.”
“I see. They'll be at sea for several months at the very least, so I was worried they might get bored.”
“I don't think you need to worry about that. Their attendant brought an entire bundle of books along.”
“Haha, that certainly sounds like Seon-il.”
“And he said he'd spend the voyage learning the Great Yue Language from Cousin-in-law, so when would he even have time to get bored?”
“True enough. But…”
Brother Jeong-ho glanced behind me, then tilted his head.
“Where's Deputy Merchant Lord Seong?”
“Ah… that's a long story. Where's Young Lord Yu-jin?”
“He's playing with Geon-hyeok.”
He seemed to have deliberately avoided asking about it until now.
Brother Jeong-ho had probably already guessed that something had happened.
“Let me wash up first. I'll tell you afterward.”
“All right.”
After washing up in my quarters, I stopped by my office for a moment.
“You're back?”
“Yes. I made it back safely.”
Young Lady Seohyang was handling my work in my absence, and beside her…
“Master! You're back?”
Young Lord Yeon Ju-hyeok was diligently working away.
Judging by the brightness in his expression, it seemed his trip to Hunan had gone well.
“Did you receive formal permission?”
“Hahaha. Yes.”
“You're looking surprisingly intact.”
“It's all thanks to the letter you gave me, Master. And…”
He pulled a letter from inside his robe and held it out to me.
“My father sent this for you.”
I took it and slipped it into my robe.
I'll read it later.
“How is the handover going?”
“It's going well. In another few months, I think he'll be more than capable of handling everything on his own.”
It was already the Fifth Month.
Which meant that in only a few more months, Young Lady Seohyang would marry me, leaving the position of First Deputy vacant.
If I wanted someone to fill that position without causing any problems when the time came, I needed to make sure he became thoroughly familiar with the work starting now.
“Then I'll head over to Brother Jeong-ho's office.”
I sat across from Brother Jeong-ho in his office.
After taking a sip of tea, he got straight to the point.
“So, what happened?”
“Hmm, well…”
I explained how I'd uncovered the corruption among the supervisors of the Myeongmyeong Merchant Group.
“So I went straight to Sichuan.”
“Well, with something like that happening, I suppose you wouldn't have had time to stop in Beijing.”
“That's why he asked me to send Young Lord Yu-jin to Sichuan separately.”
“With circumstances like that, it couldn't be helped. The people from the Escort Bureau who came with you are still here, so we can have him return with them.”
“That should work.”
As it happened, the people from the Changin Escort Bureau who had accompanied Deputy Merchant Lord Seong from Hubei to Beijing were still here.
I could entrust Young Lord Seong Yu-jin to them without worry.
Deputy Merchant Lord Seong had probably had them in mind when he made his request.
And they had likely already expected that they might end up escorting Young Lord Seong Yu-jin all the way to Sichuan.
“Things have been quiet in Beijing, right?”
“Well, if you call it quiet, it's quiet. If you call it noisy, it's noisy. Isn't that just Beijing?”
“You're already starting to sound like a real Beijinger.”
Brother Jeong-ho sighed at that.
“I've still got a long way to go.”
Just then, Palgap's voice came from outside.
“Young Master. Warrior Jin Yeong has arrived.”
“I'll be right out.”
I stood and spoke to Brother Jeong-ho.
“You don't have anything urgent right now, do you?”
“Even if I did, what could I do? His Majesty comes first.”
.
.
.
I immediately went to meet Warrior Jin Yeong.
“This humble merchant greets Warrior Jin Yeong.”
“You've done well. His Majesty is extremely pleased with how you handled this matter.”
He was talking about what I'd done with Eunuch A-jeong.
“This humble merchant merely carried out His Majesty's command.”
“Then let us go to the Imperial Palace. His Majesty has summoned you.”
“Understood.”
I'd been the one to send Warrior Jin Yeong a letter through Escort Guard Lee Pil in the first place, so I was already prepared.
“Warrior Jin Yeong, may I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“An eunuch named Jo Saeng was recently dispatched to assist His Highness the Crown Prince.”
“Jo Saeng? Ah… him.”
“I was told he's an eunuch, but he's trained in an Imperial Palace Martial Art. Is he truly an eunuch?”
Warrior Jin Yeong gave me a broad grin, then answered my question with one of his own.
“Did he seem trustworthy?”
“They say you can fathom the depths of deep water, but never the depths of a man's heart. How could I possibly know for certain?”
“I'm asking what your instincts told you.”
“…At the very least, he didn't seem like someone who would betray us.”
“Then there's nothing to worry about.”
So is he actually an eunuch or not?
“Why don't you try figuring out his true identity yourself?”
“What?”
“Whether or not you can uncover who he really is… I think I'll keep that as a little entertainment for myself.”
“…”
So that's how you want to play this?
Now you're making me want to figure it out even more.
I followed Warrior Jin Yeong to the Emperor's office.
After I gave the Emperor the highest formal bow, he told me to raise my head.
“Your Majesty's grace is boundless.”
“Yes. Did everyone set sail without trouble?”
“Yes. By Your Majesty's grace, everyone departed safely.”
“Good.”
“His Highness the Crown Prince also asked me to convey his regards.”
The Emperor nodded.
“I see. And you've handled this matter rather well. You fell from a cliff with that man and somehow barely escaped with your life alone… and if you even managed to recover his corpse in the process, no one could possibly fault you.”
“…”
“You used your head rather well. Which brings me to my question. Who is it?”
“Pardon? I'm afraid I don't understand what Your Majesty means.”
“You little bastard, don't play dumb with me. Do you expect me to believe you merely killed that man and nothing more? I'd stake this very throne on you having interrogated him first.”
As expected of the Emperor.
I immediately prostrated myself.
“This humble merchant was uncertain whether it was safe to speak of such matters here and therefore dared not report it carelessly. Please reprimand me, Your Majesty.”
“There is a martial technique called Voice Transmission, is there not?”
“…?”
“I grant you permission to speak through Voice Transmission.”
If he's going this far, I don't exactly have a choice.
Come to think of it, this was probably why the Emperor had ordered me to come as soon as possible.
– Then I will report through Voice Transmission.
I conveyed everything I'd learned from interrogating Eunuch A-jeong directly to the Emperor through Voice Transmission.
As he listened, the Emperor personally wrote everything down on a sheet of paper.
– That is all.
Tap.
The Emperor set down his brush.
“I see.”
Quite frankly, what I'd reported was enough to make anyone fly into a rage.
Yet the Emperor's expression didn't change in the slightest.
That sent a chill down my spine.
Not simply because he was skilled at concealing his emotions. If anything, it showed just how furious he truly was.
A man like the Emperor only became colder and more composed the angrier he got.
“You've done well. This is exactly why I can't stop giving you work. I say one thing, and you move immediately, produce the best possible result, and don't indulge in pointless ambition while you're at it.”
“Your Majesty flatters me. This humble merchant is quite greedy himself.”
“For money, you mean?”
“…”
“I'm talking about a lust for power. Suppose I ordered you, right here and now, to become an official of the Imperial Court. What would you say?”
I raised my head and looked at the Emperor.
His face was full of amusement, but there was unmistakable sincerity behind the question.
“I beg Your Majesty to withdraw such an order. This humble merchant would much rather remain a merchant…”
“Hahahaha!”
The Emperor burst into hearty laughter.
“Putting that aside, how is construction of the Martial Arts Academy progressing?”
The conversation shifted naturally.
In other words, the Emperor intended to deal with the rats I'd told him about himself.
What a relief.
I already had more than enough on my plate. If the Emperor made me deal with that too, I'd be exhausted.
I quickly answered him.
“Construction itself is proceeding smoothly. However, given what the facility will be used for, we are taking particular care with the work.”
A Martial Arts Academy was a place where martial artists would study and train.
And martial arts produced destructive force far beyond what ordinary physical strength could achieve.
Naturally, the building needed to be sturdier than an ordinary structure.
There was a reason the arenas at martial gatherings like the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering were built from expensive yet incredibly tough and resilient Ironwall Wood.
“Yes, yes. I'm sure you'll handle it properly. Very well.”
It sounded like he was about to dismiss me.
Absolutely not!
Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through dealing with Eunuch A-jeong? I deserved compensation for that.
And while I was at it, I needed reimbursement for the silk robe that had ended up drenched in blood.
“Your Majesty. The truth is, I suffered a few minor injuries while dealing with that man. And after wrapping his corpse in my ‘silk robe,’ carrying it on my back, and climbing all the way up that cliff, my fingers still ache even now.”
“…”
“So, about that… don't you have anything for me?”
For a moment, the Emperor looked genuinely taken aback.
Apparently, he hadn't expected me to ask for compensation quite this directly.
I silently waited for his answer until the Emperor clicked his tongue and grumbled.
“You really are a tenacious bastard.”
“I've always been this way, Your Majesty. How else could I have clawed my way this far?”
“Tch. And here I thought I might finally get away with it this time.”
So that's why he changed the subject to the Martial Arts Academy earlier.
What a slippery old fox of an Emperor.
Did he really think I'd just let that slide?
A merchant must never retreat when there's profit on the line.
“Fine. Is there something you want?”
Something I want?
Of course there is.
“Your Majesty. What this humble merchant desires is…”
“Other than asking me to stop giving you work.”
Hah. I wasn't foolish enough to wish for that.
The Emperor had absolutely no intention of letting me go in the first place.
This is the problem with being too competent.
“I understand. What I want is for my name not to be mentioned when Your Majesty deals with the people I told you about.”
“Why?”
“If the Murim Alliance learns that I was involved in this affair, they will undoubtedly become wary of me.”
“Hmm… that is true.”
The Emperor nodded.
“But that is something I should do regardless. Protecting one's subject is one of a ruler's duties. So forget that and tell me what you really want.”
“Then please answer a question for me.”
“What question?”
“When is Elder Hwangbo Hwi's true birthday?”
“What?”
Apparently, the question had caught him completely off guard.
“Why are you asking about that bastard's birthday?”
“I have my reasons.”
I made a little wager with Elder Ghost-faced Constable.
He promised me a gift if I could discover his real birthday.
And for some reason, I had a feeling I needed to get my hands on that gift.
At my question, a slightly troubled look crossed the Emperor's face.
Don't tell me…
“Don't you want something else?”
“Pardon?”
“It's embarrassing to admit, but even I don't know that bastard's real birthday.”
“…”
Wait, how am I supposed to find a birthday even the Emperor doesn't know, Elder…?
The Emperor continued.
“I know he has a different, true birthday. But he never told me what it was. Claimed he'd forgotten it himself.”
I suppose that was just like Elder Ghost-faced Constable.
Then again, if it were easy to discover, he wouldn't have made a wager out of it.
Still, simply asking the Emperor a question like this was difficult enough in itself.
If even the Emperor didn't know, there was no point searching for the answer inside the Imperial Palace.
In that case, my only remaining option was to visit the Hwangbo Clan.
There was no guarantee I'd learn anything even if I went there, but it was still the place where I had the best chance.
“Then, Your Majesty, instead of answering my question, I have a favor to ask.”
“Speak.”
“Please issue an imperial edict that will give me a natural reason to visit the Hwangbo Clan. The stated purpose can be to recruit instructors for the Martial Arts Academy.”
“That is easily done. Very well.”
The Emperor readily agreed to my request.
“Still, that alone would leave me feeling stingy. Take this as well.”
The Grand Eunuch approached me and held out an envelope.
I accepted it and opened it.
Huh? This is a bank draft.
And it's worth a hundred silver taels.
“For your robe.”
“Your Majesty's grace is boundless.”
Huh? Wait a moment…
Your Majesty?
You already had this prepared, and you were still trying to weasel your way out of giving it to me?
.
.
.
The next day.
Young Lord Yu-jin left the Beijing Branch and headed for Sichuan.
I was a little worried since it was such a long journey, but there was no reason to doubt the abilities of the people from the Changin Escort Bureau.
Meanwhile, I returned to my office and began working through the backlog that had piled up.
“Deputy Merchant Lord. This is Zhuge Cheon-du.”
“Come in.”
A moment later, Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du—no, Chief Administrator Zhuge Cheon-du—entered.
“How far along is construction of the Martial Arts Academy?”
“About seventy percent complete.”
“I see. Then we may be able to finish it before the end of the year.”
“Yes. And this is the list of prospective instructors we could approach.”
The document he handed me listed the instructors needed for each subject, along with the names of the recommended candidates.
I looked over the names and nodded.
“Good.”
Then it was finally time to begin recruiting the instructors in earnest.
First on the list was the Hwangbo Clan.
Now that I had received an imperial edict from His Majesty, I could use that as my justification for visiting them.
–TL Notes–
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