I blinked.
What is going on here.
No, if the first to the third tests were the same as before, shouldn’t the next one follow the same pattern?
But the fourth test this time was “Choosing Silk.”
It wasn’t the “Fetching Silk” I remembered.
In my previous life, we had to fetch the silk designated by the palace in the fastest time, and the Baekcheon Merchant Group had always been the quickest.
Ah, don’t tell me…
There’s one major difference between then and now.
Whether Go Seong-il is present or not.
Does that mean he influenced the test theme in my past life?
And since he’s not here this time, the theme has changed?
I don’t know the reason, but it doesn’t matter.
Either way, this situation doesn’t favor the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
At that time.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group also received the test theme through an Eunuch.
The representative Baekcheon sent this time was Namgoong Bo (南宮步).
He was the nephew of Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group still had no Deputy Merchant Lord. Since they were under the Murim Alliance, the Alliance’s senior members were the ones selecting Baekcheon’s successor.
Namgoong Bo was one of the leading candidates.
For him, this Imperial Silk Supplier Competition was a golden opportunity to leave a strong impression on the senior members of the Alliance.
He was under immense pressure to produce results.
‘Even if I have to resort to underhanded methods, I must succeed.’
So he bribed people within the palace and managed to pass the third-stage test without issue.
The theme for the fourth test he obtained through those means was “Fetching Silk.”
He even knew in advance which silk he needed to bring, so he had prepared thoroughly.
But when he received the scroll from the Eunuch and unrolled it, he couldn’t help but feel rattled.
Because the theme written there was entirely different from what he’d been told.
‘Damn it. All that effort for nothing.’
He realized that the connections he’d used this time were not high-ranking enough.
He had tried to reach higher, but was harshly turned away, told they weren’t about to risk their heads for him.
‘Me. A son of the Namgoong clan. Lowered my head.’
A sudden thought crossed his mind.
‘Did the Empress notice I bribed palace staff?’
He remembered what his father, one of the senior members of the Murim Alliance, had told him before he left for Beijing.
“Bo, the person you must be most cautious of in this matter is the Empress.”
He believed she was the one who disrupted his plans. The Emperor wouldn’t bother with something like this.
Either way, things were already underway.
.
.
.
The palace.
As he handled state affairs, the Emperor asked Eunuch Jeong,
“By now, the theme has been delivered to the seven merchant groups, correct?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor chuckled lightly.
‘You dare stir up trouble in a competition where the one I favor is participating.’
Normally he wouldn’t have concerned himself. He trusted the Empress to oversee the Imperial Silk Supplier Competition.
But since Eun Seo-ho was among the participants, his interest was piqued.
Thanks to that, he found out.
There were people throwing bribes around.
Of course the Emperor would not sit idly by and allow that.
Finally, the day of the fourth-stage competition arrived.
The three Supervisors and I headed for the palace as scheduled.
“Since everyone is gathered, let’s enter the palace.”
Led by the Eunuch waiting at the gate, we passed through and arrived at the place where the second and third-stage competitions had taken place.
Soon, the Empress arrived, followed by the consorts, princesses, and ministers.
We bowed and paid our respects.
“All of you may rise.”
At her words, everyone stood.
But I felt something odd.
Why are the Princesses looking at me differently today?
Last time, they blushed when they looked my way, but today, their eyes were filled with pity.
What’s that about?
But I had to let go of those thoughts once the Empress began to speak.
“This stage of the competition is, as previously announced, choosing silk.”
At the same moment, bolts of silk began to be brought out and stacked in the back.
“There are two urns in front of you. Inside are plaques numbered one through twenty. Excluding myself, there are twenty-one on the palace side, and seven merchant groups.”
The Empress continued.
“We will draw one plaque per person, and each merchant group will draw three. If the merchant group labeled ‘Gap (甲級)’ draws numbers five, twelve, and twenty, then the three palace members who drew those numbers will each state what kind of silk they want. The merchant group must then choose the silk each person desires. The rule is very simple.”
The Empress spoke again.
“We shall now draw the number plaques.”
The palace side each drew one plaque. While they did so, she continued her explanation.
“This time, the evaluation will be based on speed and suitability. You must choose the silk quickly, but it also must satisfy the preferences of the judge who made the request.”
So this time, the Princesses weren’t just observing. They were judging.
After a few more explanations, the Empress concluded.
“Now, the merchant groups will draw their number plaques.”
Each group drew three plaques. Which meant we would get three chances.
The numbers we drew were two, ten, and twenty-one.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group drew number one.
Everyone watched them closely.
And the person on the palace side who drew number one was one of the consorts.
“What silk does Consort Hyang (香妃) wish for?”
“I wish for silk to make a dress I will wear at His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday banquet.”
At her words, the Baekcheon members immediately began looking through the bolts of silk for something suitable.
Not long after, they presented one.
“This is the silk we’ve chosen.”
It was a deep crimson silk.
“Why did you choose this silk?”
A man stepped forward to answer the Empress’s question.
I recognized him.
Namgoong Bo.
Nephew of Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang.
He had led Baekcheon to great success in my previous life’s competition and was once seen as the likely next Merchant Lord. But one day, he vanished.
Officially, they said he had suffered a Qi deviation during training and was in seclusion. But that was nonsense.
Qi deviation only happens to those greedy for martial advancement, and he was the type to rely on his clan’s name rather than any personal skill in martial arts.
He had surely been removed in secret. I don’t know by whom.
Namgoong Bo spoke.
“His Majesty’s birthday is a day of great blessing. Red is a color that prays for blessings, so I believed it fitting for the occasion. And among all silks, Shu brocade is the finest. That is why we selected this silk.”
At his explanation, the Empress turned to Consort Hyang.
“Consort Hyang, do you like this silk?”
The silk was stunning enough to catch the attention of all present.
“To choose such fine silk so quickly.”
“As expected of the Baekcheon Merchant Group. Their reputation is well-earned.”
I could hear whispers from the other merchant groups.
Even our own members seemed impressed.
“Consort Hyang will surely approve.”
Supervisor Geum spoke, but I remained silent.
Everyone seemed to expect her to be pleased.
But would she?
Consort Hyang’s face was troubled.
As expected.
“I… I must decline this silk.”
At her words, not just Baekcheon, but the other merchant groups as well, reacted in shock.
Some even seemed to think she was just messing with them.
But it was only natural for Consort Hyang to refuse that silk.
“I see.”
The Empress nodded calmly.
“Baekcheon Merchant Group, you may step back. The group that drew number two, come forward.”
The Baekcheon members barely managed to hide their expressions as they withdrew. I stepped forward with our Supervisors.
The person who drew number two was also a consort.
“What silk does Consort Yeong (榮妃) want?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I too would like silk for the dress I will wear to His Majesty the Emperor’s birthday banquet.”
Same theme again.
“Eunhae Merchant Group, choose the silk.”
“Yes.”
We immediately got to work.
Supervisor Geum asked nervously,
“What kind of silk are we supposed to pick?”
“Right. If she rejected that gorgeous Shu brocade, are we going to get toyed with too?”
Supervisor Yeong chimed in.
But I smiled calmly.
“It was only natural that Consort Hyang refused that silk. Think about it. She didn’t say she disliked it, she said she rejected it.”
“Sir?”
“She rejected it because it was red.”
Unlike the other two, Chief Supervisor Seok understood and smiled.
“Indeed. That’s right.”
“You get it.”
“If not for you, Deputy Merchant Lord, we would have made a critical mistake.”
He gave the two Supervisors a look that said he’d explain later, then picked out a bolt.
“This should be suitable.”
“I think so too.”
We selected two bolts of silk, one jade-green and the other with a violet hue.
We placed them before Consort Yeong.
“You brought two bolts?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. I heard no rule stating we must select only one.”
The other merchant groups looked startled.
Especially the Baekcheon group, who bit their lips in regret.
“That’s right. No rule limits you to one bolt. How clever.”
“You flatter me.”
“Why did you choose these silks?”
“Because these are the colors that suit Consort Yeong best. Her complexion is very fair, and these blue-green tones would complement her beautifully.”
Consort Yeong asked,
“I do like the colors. But the birthday banquet is held in winter. Won’t I feel cold?”
“If you wrap your neck in white fox fur, that problem is solved. Picture it. Snow falling… and you in jade green with hints of violet. Wouldn’t it look mysterious?”
At my words, she smiled and nodded.
“Of course, we could have chosen another tone, but pink is preferred by the princesses. And red…”
I grinned.
“That is the Empress’s color.”
For a moment, the entire space fell silent.
Brief, but telling.
That’s right.
The vivid red Shu brocade Baekcheon selected was beautiful enough to enchant anyone.
But red is the Empress’s color for major imperial occasions.
For a consort to wear that color at the Emperor’s birthday banquet is the same as “challenging” the Empress’s authority.
Which is why Consort Hyang refused.
No consort would want to fall from the Empress’s favor.
Of course, this isn’t something ordinary merchants would know.
It’s an unspoken rule inside the palace.
Talk carelessly about imperial matters and three generations of your family could be wiped out, so no one spoke of it, and those outside had no way to learn.
People like red, so they’d assume it’s fine to wear at a grand banquet.
Many do wear red in daily life.
Even merchants who deal with high ministers might not know.
Noble ladies, who fought for advantage more fiercely than one might expect, would order silks in many shades to avoid matching others.
When asked what they would wear, they’d vaguely say “red.”
Their maids and house seamstresses kept their mouths shut.
And their husbands had little interest in their wives’ attire.
So even major silk merchants were often unaware.
I myself wouldn’t have known if not for my past life.
Around the time the Eunhae Merchant Group became one of the Three Great Merchant Groups Under Heaven, I supported Prince Jinseung (眞昇王).
He loved his wife dearly, and he personally requested a gift of silk for her garments.
Through that connection, I learned a great deal.
I cupped my fists and said,
“How could we be so rude as to choose red?”
At my words, Consort Yeong nodded in agreement.
And the faces of Baekcheon’s Namgoong Bo and his Supervisors twisted with frustration.
Mm. Very satisfying.
–TL Notes–
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