The reason Lord Ma could rule over Taegyeong County like a king was because he had power.
And where did that power come from?
It came from his wealth, being the richest man in Taegyeong County.
So, I needed to strip him of that wealth.
How could I effectively bring down Lord Ma in the shortest amount of time?
As I pondered, Escort Guard Jin Yu spoke up.
“Um… there’s one more thing I need to report.”
“Oh, yes. Go ahead.”
“I was curious about what they were discussing, so I infiltrated the estate and listened in.”
“What?”
“There weren’t any warriors there stronger than me, so it wasn’t too difficult.”
Well, Jin Yu was at the Peak stage after all.
Even if there were several First-rate warriors there, there likely weren’t any at the Peak level.
“They said the Murim Alliance is planning a large investment to establish an escort bureau. They recommended that Lord Ma invest in it.”
“What did the Murim Alliance offer Lord Ma in return for his investment?”
“Ten percent of the profits.”
“…Isn’t that too little?”
“It seems the initial investment amount wasn’t large.”
Hmm, maybe Lord Ma was more cautious than I expected.
Still, I think I know what escort bureau the Murim Alliance is setting up.
They tried getting into the escort bureau business in my previous life too, and it ended in complete failure.
First of all, the Baekcheon Merchant Group doesn’t need an escort bureau. Since they’re supported by the Murim Alliance, their own martial strength is already excellent.
But maybe the idea seemed appealing to them, or maybe they were envious of how well other escort bureaus were doing, so they started one.
That escort bureau was the Baekun Escort Bureau.
At first, because it was staffed by martial artists from the Murim Alliance, escort requests poured in from all over the country.
But escorting is a service business involving transportation and protection.
In other words, you have to respect the merchant clients and sometimes even lower yourself to serve them.
But these martial artists from the Murim Alliance walked around with their chins raised even on a regular day.
Bowing their heads wasn’t even an option.
Eventually, frictions arose here and there, and in just six months, the whole thing collapsed.
A complete and utter failure.
Of course, they couldn’t even dream of recovering their investment.
It was such a shocking incident that it was clearly etched into my memory.
I asked Escort Guard Jin Yu.
“Did Lord Ma accept the proposal?”
“He did. They said the contract will be signed five days from now.”
Suddenly, a great idea came to me.
“Palgeop. Set up a meeting with Lord Ma.”
.
.
.
The next day.
I stopped by a nearby fabric shop and bought some flashy silk clothes and ornaments to dress up the group.
Of course, I dressed up lavishly too.
Then we rode off proudly toward the Ma Clan Manor.
After a short while, we arrived at the manor, and the gatekeeper asked us,
“Where are you from?”
Palgeop stepped forward and answered.
“This is Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Ah! We’ve been expecting you.”
The gatekeeper quickly bowed his head.
“Please wait just a moment.”
He rang the bell at the gate, and soon, someone who appeared to be an attendant came running out from inside.
“Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho.”
“Yes, this way, please.”
We handed over our horses to the gatekeeper and followed the attendant to the guest hall.
As we walked, I casually took in the layout of the Ma Clan Manor.
It looked like quite a bit of money had been spent on it, but honestly, it didn’t feel beautiful at all.
It wasn’t harmoniously decorated. It was just expensive stones, wood, and artworks purchased and thrown together without any sense of taste.
And on the faces of the servants and maids seen here and there, there was not a trace of joy.
They looked like people simply enduring each day, unwillingly.
Truly, this was a place without dreams or hope.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I entered the guest hall, where a maid soon served tea and snacks.
Perhaps he wanted to flaunt his wealth to me as well, because every item was of the most expensive kind.
A moment later.
The door opened and a man entered.
He was a chubby middle-aged man with a receding hairline.
He had grown out his beard in an attempt to look stylish and wore expensive silk robes.
His face was greasy, clearly showing he lived a life of indulgence and luxury.
I stood up and greeted him with a cupped-fist salute.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Eun Seo-ho, Deputy Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“I’m Ma Jeong, head of the Ma Clan Manor. Nice to meet you. Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
He stroked his beard and spoke.
“I wonder if the refreshments suit your taste.”
“I didn’t expect to be served Dragon Well Tea, especially a top-grade variety of it. One of the finest teas in the region.”
“Hahaha! You have a discerning eye.”
“It’s a basic requirement for a Deputy Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“Well, I’m quite familiar with the Eunhae Merchant Group myself. You’ve been doing quite well lately. That’s why I was surprised. That the Deputy Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group would request a meeting with me.”
“In fact, I’ve been considering opening a shop around here. Naturally, I thought it only proper to pay my respects to the wealthiest figure in the region, Lord Ma.”
“Hahaha. A polite young merchant, aren’t you?”
“In truth, you’re the very first person I came to see.”
“Is that so? You’ve come to the right place.”
He seemed quite pleased that I, a Deputy Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group, was approaching him with humility and deference, smiling constantly.
Just what I wanted.
A cheerful mood clouds good judgment.
“To commemorate today’s meeting, I’ve prepared a small gift.”
“A gift, you say?”
“Yes.”
I gave a subtle signal to Palgeop, who placed a small box on the table.
“It’s a humble token of respect.”
Lord Ma opened the box and tilted his head.
“What is this?”
“Please, open it. It’s a painting I went through great trouble to obtain.”
At those words, he unrolled the scroll.
“It’s a piece by a painter named Mun Baek, who’s been gaining great fame in Beijing. Even high-ranking officials struggle to get their hands on his work.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
His face lit up at my explanation.
I sipped my tea and subtly hid my smirk. Truthfully, the painting was a fake.
I had just scribbled it myself.
But the part about the painter Mun Baek being famous in Beijing was true.
Still, Lord Ma was like a frog in a well (井底之蛙), living like a king in this small Taegyeong County.
He probably wasn’t up to date on Beijing’s news, and even if he was, he likely only knew the name.
There’s no way he’d ever seen a real Mun Baek painting, so he nodded repeatedly in admiration.
And of course, I was also a fairly good actor.
“It’ll be worth a fair bit later. But, I do have one request. Please don’t show it to anyone else.”
“Why not?”
“As I just mentioned, even high-ranking nobles have difficulty obtaining his work. If word gets out that a mere merchant like myself got one, the person who helped me get it—and several others—could end up in trouble.”
“Hmm, that makes sense.”
“Besides, those with true refinement enjoy their art quietly, in their private spaces.”
“Indeed.”
Even if he finds out later that the painting is a fake and tries to confront me, I can just say I was swindled too.
But really, would Lord Ma even dare to confront me?
While chatting with Lord Ma about various trivial matters, I suddenly spoke as if something had just come to mind.
“Oh, come to think of it, I heard the Murim Alliance is launching an escort bureau business.”
“I-Is that so?”
At my words, Lord Ma showed a faintly flustered expression. After all, I’d brought up something he already knew.
“I heard from an acquaintance. An escort bureau composed of martial artists from the Murim Alliance! Doesn’t that sound amazing?”
“Mm, yes…”
“I heard they’ve already gathered a decent amount of investment. And my acquaintance said he’s getting thirty percent of the profits.”
At that, Lord Ma tilted his head.
“Thirty percent?”
“Well, he invested a lot. And… Namg— ah! My apologies.”
I quickly covered my mouth.
Lord Ma tilted his head again and asked.
“What is it?”
“I’m sorry. It’s a secret…”
“Come now, what kind of secret can there be between us? You’re making me feel left out.”
“It really is a secret. Please pretend you didn’t hear anything. I’m begging you.”
I bowed my head with an apologetic expression, but there was no way this greedy Lord Ma would let it go so easily.
“Sounds like you still don’t trust me. To prove my goodwill, I’ll make sure to speak with the magistrate about the shop you want to open.”
“…If you put it that way, I guess I can’t refuse. But please don’t mention this to anyone else.”
“Of course. I’m known to keep my mouth shut.”
I leaned in and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Actually, I heard that even the Namgoong Clan invested in the project. Do you know what kind of family that is? One of the Eight Great Clans under Heaven, and the ruling power of Anhui Province.”
“That’s true.”
“So I’m also preparing to invest, even if just a small amount.”
“…”
“I don’t have much personal capital right now, which is a shame. This is the kind of business that could return double, no, triple the initial amount.”
“Mm…”
That should be enough.
If I push too hard, he might start getting suspicious.
Besides, the claim that the Namgoong Clan invested in the Baekun Escort Bureau isn’t a lie.
In my previous life, they did invest, but when the business started tanking, they pulled out early. In the end, it was the smaller investors who believed in their name that took the losses.
Bastards.
Anyway, right now, their name made for perfect bait to lure in Lord Ma.
“Oh, by the way, there’s something I wanted to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
“Is there a cotton field in this area worth purchasing?”
“A cotton field?”
“Yes. As you know, our Eunhae Merchant Group is also famous for textiles. We’re considering producing our own cotton and are looking to acquire fields.”
“How much do you need?”
“The more the better. I’m also willing to offer a good price.”
“Hmm, I’ll look into it.”
“Thank you.”
With that, the conversation came to a close, and Lord Ma escorted me all the way to the gate.
“Did you come on horseback?”
“Yes. I find carriages too stuffy.”
“But won’t your silk robes get ruined?”
“It’s fine. If they do, I’ll just get new ones tailored. What’s there to worry about?”
“Haha, fair point. Travel safely.”
“Thank you. I had a pleasant time today.”
Then we rode back to the inn. Palgeop glanced behind us and whispered to me.
“Do you think he’ll take the bait?”
“Nothing’s certain. But the odds are high.”
From what I could tell, there was over a ninety percent chance Lord Ma would fall for my scheme.
After Eun Seo-ho left, Lord Ma fell deep into thought.
The words Eun Seo-ho had spoken echoed in his ears.
— My acquaintance said he’s getting thirty percent of the profits. He invested a lot.
— Actually, I heard the Namgoong Clan also invested. They’re one of the Eight Great Clans under Heaven, and rule over Anhui Province.
— I don’t have much personal capital, which is a shame. This is the kind of business that could return double, no, triple the initial amount.
Yesterday, he had spoken with someone from the Murim Alliance, revealed the amount he planned to invest, and was promised ten percent of the profits.
But that wasn’t nearly enough to earn the kind of return he desired.
More importantly, he harbored ambitions beyond Taegyeong County—he wanted to spread his name throughout the Central Plains.
“Deok-bae.”
He called in one of his Escort Guards, a man with keen eyes whom he favored.
“Yes, my Lord?”
“That man earlier, that Eun Seo-ho—do you think it was really him?”
“Yes. I’m confident it was. The way he got on his horse without hesitation despite wearing such expensive silk robes, and the way his attendants and guards wore silk while riding without looking the least bit awkward.”
“Is that so?”
“If they were just pretending, you’d usually see some stiffness or sloppiness. But there wasn’t any of that.”
“I see.”
Then, just as Eun Seo-ho said, this escort bureau venture must be a golden opportunity for long-term wealth.
A few days later.
As promised, he met again with the representative from the Murim Alliance.
“Here’s the contract. Please take a look.”
Instead of reading it, Lord Ma asked a question.
“By any chance… is the Namgoong Clan also investing in this venture?”
“…!”
The Murim Alliance representative looked visibly startled.
“How did you know that?”
“…Hem. Let’s just say I have my own sources.”
“Well… with someone like you, Lord Ma, it’s no surprise.”
Having confirmed the truth, Lord Ma made up his mind.
“Let’s rewrite the contract. I’ll be investing more.”
.
.
.
The Murim Alliance representative smiled brightly and said he’d return with a new contract.
Lord Ma then summoned his Chief Administrator and conveyed his decision.
“You want to invest that much?”
“Yes.”
The Chief Administrator was worried but couldn’t bring himself to oppose it.
Lord Ma’s resolve seemed firm, and if he opposed it, he wouldn’t like the outcome.
“B-But even if we scrape together all the money from the cotton sales, it still won’t be enough for the amount you mentioned.”
“Contact Deputy Merchant Lord Eun. Tell him there’s a fine cotton field available here.”
–TL Notes–
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