The name written on the envelope was Han Jae-ik.
He was someone I’d met when I went to the North Sea.
He had come to have his younger sister admitted into the Ice Palace, and I saved him when he was being chased by the Red-Eyed Snow Leopard.
Back then, he said his sister was about to be taken as the ninth wife of a local Regional Lord, and they came to the North Sea to escape that fate.
The way that Regional Lord acted, there was a good chance he’d do something cruel, so I told him to come find me if anything ever happened. And now he was sending a letter…
What happened?
I quickly tore open the envelope and took out the letter to read it.
“…”
All I could do was sigh.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
“I need to take a quick trip to Henan.”
“Is it because of that letter? You just got back from Hangzhou. Are you sure you’re up for it? Even if Henan isn’t far, you’ll still need to cross Mount Bokryong in this cold.”
“I know. But I think I have to go.”
I explained my connection with Han Jae-ik to my concerned father.
“…So, I told him to come find me if things got bad. But judging from the letter, it seems he couldn’t even manage that.”
Then I handed the letter to my father.
There wasn’t anything confidential in it, and once he read it, he’d understand.
Just as I expected, Father’s hands trembled as he read the letter.
“How can there be such a vile, inhuman bastard in the world!”
“That’s why I have to go. Father, they say a man’s word is worth a thousand gold taels. I promised I’d help. I can’t just turn a blind eye now, can I?”
“You’re right. Then go. And while you’re there, make sure to handle it thoroughly.”
“Thank you.”
Father then brought up Hangzhou.
“So, how did things go in Hangzhou?”
“Everything went well. But I think I’ll need to go back soon. I discovered something delicious.”
“You’re going to be busy again this year, huh? But if you say it’s that good, I’ll be looking forward to it.”
And with that, I finished my report.
“Then, Father, I’ll take my leave now.”
“Alright.”
Just then, Father called out to me.
“Ah! Wait a moment.”
“Yes?”
“You probably haven’t heard since you just got back from Hangzhou, but the Imperial Palace recently released the new rankings for the Hundred Great Merchant Groups Under the Heaven.”
Ah, it was that time of year already.
“Did we climb a lot again this time?”
“Yes, we’re up to 40th place.”
We were 49th last time, so that’s a nine-place jump.
The biggest factor was probably our successful delivery of imperial silk this time.
Now only 39 steps remained to the number one spot.
I headed to my residence.
I needed to inform Palgap and the escort guards that I’d be going to Henan.
And I needed to wash up.
After that… I had to stop by the Virtuous Wind Department to take care of some work.
.
.
.
The next morning.
As always, Master appeared right after I finished my breathing and Qi circulation.
“Good morning.”
“Master, you’re here.”
“First…”
Master cupped his fists to me and bowed his head.
“I heard from Escort Chief Ha. Thank you.”
I quickly waved my hand.
“Master, that’s too much courtesy for a disciple like me. I simply did what any disciple of Snow Wind Palace should do.”
“I understand. And thank you for the Ice Lotus Wine as well.”
“Yes. I hope you enjoy it.”
When I parted ways with Escort Chief Ha yesterday, I gave him two bottles of Ice Lotus Wine.
One was for him, and the other was a gift for Master.
“Honestly, I thought I’d go my whole life without ever tasting Ice Lotus Wine again, brewed by Snow Wind Palace.”
Master gave a bitter smile.
“After Snow Wind Palace was destroyed, I went back much later, but the palace was thoroughly razed. Even… the warehouse where the Ice Lotus Wine was stored… everything was gone.”
His expression twisted in pain as he recalled the past.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you remember something so painful.”
“It’s alright. I’m deeply grateful. And thank you for letting the children write letters as well.”
“I’m glad to hear it. Did the warriors who received the letters like them?”
“Yes, they were very pleased.”
Master smiled warmly at me.
His eyes were full of gratitude.
“In return for that kindness, I’ll devote myself even more to teaching you martial arts.”
Please don’t…
If you push harder than you already do, your disciple’s going to die.
.
.
.
But I didn’t die.
That alone proves I’m pretty amazing. How did I survive that?
Judging from Master’s pleased expression, he was definitely planning to increase the intensity starting tomorrow.
Sigh. I’ll need to brace myself again.
Resolving myself, I spent the rest of the day taking care of the backlog of work and delegating tasks.
I made sure that even if I was gone, the capable staff could handle everything.
But… for some reason, everyone seemed a little too happy to hear I was going away.
Still, it couldn’t be helped.
If I didn’t stay busy like this, Jin-ho’s wedding wouldn’t go smoothly.
Then—
“Young Lord! Young Lord! Are you here?”
“I’m here.”
At my reply, the door opened and Palgap rushed in.
“You need to come to the reception room, quickly.”
“Huh?”
“A guest has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”
Not long after,
I sat across from a familiar man in the reception room.
It was Jin Yeong, the Embroidered Guard Warrior I’d met a few times before.
“Eun Seo-ho greets the Great Warrior.”
“Good to see you. I’ve brought an imperial decree from His Majesty.”
As I moved to pay my respects, he held up a hand.
“I know your loyalty. There’s no need for that.”
“Ah… Yes.”
What’s with this sharp tone?
Confused, I accepted the decree he handed me.
Wrapped in red silk, the decree held a letter.
Ah, this was what it was about.
It seemed the county magistrate of Hangzhou had sent grain to the capital and included a letter stating that I had advised him to do so.
The letter instructed me to explain the circumstances to Jin Yeong.
That meant Jin Yeong already knew about this. No wonder he seemed sharp.
“His Majesty already knows the grain was purchased using bribe money.”
“As expected of His Majesty’s wisdom.”
“Why did you instruct the magistrate to do such a thing? The punishment of officials is His Majesty’s sole prerogative. As a subject, overstepping that authority is a grave offense.”
But I had something to say too.
“I only gave him advice. Is giving advice a crime?”
“Advice?”
“Even though I knew of the magistrate’s corruption, I understood I had no authority to punish him. That’s something left to His Majesty’s wise judgment.”
“Indeed.”
“So all I did was offer a suggestion. That if he wanted to save his pathetic life, he should empty his coffers and donate grain.”
“Hmm…”
“There was no coercion in my words. It was merely advice. Whether or not he acted on it was up to him.”
I continued.
“And since the power to punish officials rests with His Majesty, I guided him that way. Because the only way he’d survive was to win His Majesty’s favor.”
“…”
A moment of silence followed.
“Hmph.”
Jin Yeong cleared his throat and said.
“Your point isn’t wrong, but you still should’ve reported it to His Majesty.”
“I just returned yesterday.”
That showed how fast the magistrate had moved.
Chun-il had told me about it even before I left Hangzhou, which meant the magistrate had acted immediately after I gave the advice.
That also meant he valued his life very much.
Which meant he’d keep the matter of the real contract a secret as well.
I had intentionally used pressure to intimidate him.
“I was planning to finish the task His Majesty entrusted to me and head to the capital tomorrow. But since you’ve come, that saves me the trip.”
I continued.
“To be honest, I don’t think His Majesty is unaware that other officials are also accepting bribes.”
“Hm, you’re right.”
“But He can’t punish them all, because doing so would paralyze the entire administration, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s correct.”
“The truth is, I gave that advice to the magistrate out of loyalty to His Majesty.”
Jin Yeong nodded.
“Go on.”
“Make this incident public.”
“Hm? Public?”
“Yes. If other officials who’ve taken bribes see this, they’ll understand immediately. That if they offer grain equal to the weight of their crime, they might be forgiven.”
“Ah…”
“That way, the burden of purchasing grain for the palace is reduced, and corruption among officials may decrease.”
Jin Yeong, who had been listening in a daze, snapped back to attention and asked,
“It’s not a bad idea. But if that happens, wouldn’t the price of grain skyrocket?”
“You’re right again. That’s very perceptive of you.”
“Hahaha. Well, I do have my moments.”
I chuckled inwardly and went on with the explanation.
“This year, grain prices are much lower than usual. It was supposed to be a bumper year. So even if prices rise, it’ll only be back to average levels.”
“I see. But even if they plead for forgiveness like that, some might try to cover their losses by taking more bribes later.”
“That’s where the Embroidered Guard comes in.”
“You mean us?”
“With the Embroidered Guard’s ability, you could surely find out how much each official has accepted in bribes, couldn’t you?”
“Of course we can.”
“Then, for those who offer grain to plead forgiveness, send them a private letter. Include a report of how much they’ve taken. That should scare them enough not to try it again.”
“Oho… that’s a good idea.”
Jin Yeong nodded.
The sharp edge he’d had earlier was gone, replaced with a soft, gentle tone.
“I’ll deliver your words to His Majesty.”
“Thank you. I leave it in your hands.”
“Haha, such a shame. A man like you should be working at His Majesty’s side.”
“…!”
Cold sweat trickled down my back at those words.
Danger.
I tried to answer as humbly as I could.
“I’ve neither the guts nor the capacity for such great tasks. A small man like me couldn’t survive long in a place full of great men like you, Warrior Jin.”
“Nonsense. His Majesty holds you in high regard.”
I needed to change the subject, fast…
Ah, right. Jin Yeong was with the Embroidered Guard.
“Hahaha. If I may, could I ask you for your expert opinion?”
“Go ahead. If it’s something I can answer, I’ll gladly do so.”
“Thank you. Actually…”
As Jin Yeong left the Eunhae Merchant Group, he laughed heartily.
‘Just as His Majesty said.’
After learning the reason behind the massive grain donation, the Emperor had laughed in delight.
Then he summoned Jin Yeong and said,
“I’ll write you a letter. Go and hear what that boy has to say.”
“You mean I’m to interrogate him?”
“Interrogating him would be pointless. That boy never does anything you can actually catch him for. He’s a master of staying clean. Truly clever.”
“…”
“The reason I’m sending you is something else. That boy’s bound to have thought something up about this. I want to hear it.”
“I understand, Your Majesty.”
Jin Yeong had bowed, then cautiously asked.
“Your Majesty seems quite fond of Eun Seo-ho.”
“He’s amusing. Who else makes me laugh this much?”
“Then perhaps it’d be wise to keep him close and entrust him with something important—”
“That’s true. But that boy is like a lively, fresh fish.”
“Sorry? A fish, Your Majesty?”
“If I keep him near me, he’ll lose his spark like the dead eyes of a rotting fish. That’s no fun. Besides, as long as he’s out there, I get to hear all sorts of things that don’t usually make it to my ears.”
Realizing the Emperor’s intent, Jin Yeong bowed deeply.
“Please forgive us, Your Majesty, for our incompetence.”
“No, no. You all have your own duties. That’s why I’ve given you no further command in this matter. Rise.”
“Your grace is boundless, Your Majesty.”
As he rose and dusted himself off, the Emperor spoke again.
“But sometimes, when I suggest he come work in the palace, his reaction is so entertaining I just can’t resist.”
“Pardon?”
“Try saying it to him sometime. Then you’ll see what I mean.”
“I’ll do so if the opportunity arises.”
“But know this—when you do, back off at the right moment. If not, he might bite your nose clean off.”
Jin Yeong felt like he finally understood why the Emperor said he was irresistible.
Still, he knew to be cautious.
The Eun Seo-ho he’d just seen—there was no doubt in his mind that calling him a sleeping dragon wasn’t an exaggeration.
The Emperor might joke about having his nose bitten off, but that was something only the Emperor could say.
Someone like him…
Would get devoured whole.
‘Hm… maybe I should stay on his good side now? I didn’t say anything that’d get me eaten… right?’
–TL Notes–
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