I earnestly explained to the Emperor why all the money I’d spent was perfectly justified.
“Honestly, I never planned on blowing that kind of fortune. But once I realized people were after me, it would’ve been really hard to carry out Your Majesty’s request without spending that money.”
So really, the only reason I burned through so much cash was because the Emperor hadn’t bothered to properly explain how dangerous this job was or what the situation was like.
So whose fault is that, really?
“Staying at the high-class inn was to catch the people chasing me off guard. And that huge sum I used as operation funds in Kaifeng was to lure my pursuers somewhere else, and…”
While I was explaining, the Emperor raised his hand.
“Enough.”
“Yep!”
“Tsk, tsk. I was the fool for asking why in the first place.”
The Emperor clicked his tongue and grumbled.
“There were parts of this matter I couldn’t explain to you in detail, so I’ll approve the expenses as they are.”
“Your Majesty’s grace is truly boundless.”
I bowed politely, hiding my regret.
Too bad. I could’ve padded the bill a bit more and called it hazard pay.
But since I was dealing with His Majesty the Emperor, I should probably stop here.
“Ah, and I also brought a small gift for Your Majesty. There was a slight issue on the way, though.”
“If you mean a gift… ah… you mean the Unorthodox Sect warriors who ambushed you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
So he already knew. Which meant he also knew everything that had happened while I was handing that “gift” over.
Thanks to the Imperial Guards I’d had to subdue along the way, the present had practically doubled in size.
“It was an excellent gift.”
A smile tugged at the Emperor’s lips.
“I feel sorry about the unpleasant incident that happened along the way.”
He was smiling, but the chill in the Emperor’s voice definitely wasn’t my imagination.
“They will pay the price they deserve.”
“…”
“Because of that, you ruined a perfectly good outfit.”
Since I’d personally moved in and fought, my clothes were a bit torn.
“I’ll compensate you generously for the clothes as well.”
“I’m endlessly grateful for Your Majesty’s grace.”
“And you carried out my request splendidly; I’m personally grateful. I entrusted this matter to you because I believed you’d handle it properly.”
I could feel deep trust in me in the Emperor’s words.
“I’ll be counting on you again next time.”
“…”
Huh?
In an instant, the warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest shattered to pieces.
Ah… Your Majesty. That’s not what I wanted to hear.
Next time, please, please don’t call for me.
The words rose all the way to the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn’t let them out.
“Ah, and this is the payment I promised you for this affair.”
“…?”
I respectfully received the scroll from the Chief Eunuch and unrolled it, and for a moment I almost failed to keep a straight face.
Huh?
“Why? Don’t like it? If you don’t, you can just return–”
“Not at all! I was just so happy I forgot how to talk for a second. I’ll gladly accept.”
Are you insane?
Why would I ever give this back?
“Then you must be tired, go and get some rest.”
“Yes, this humble merchant will take his leave.”
I quickly bowed at the Emperor’s dismissal and left the hall.
.
.
.
“You’ve come out?”
“Yes.”
When I stepped out of the palace, Escort Guard Seo Wu and Escort Guard Myeong Jong were waiting for me.
“But…”
Escort Guard Seo Wu’s eyes sharpened.
“Why are your clothes like that?”
“Ah, this?”
As expected of Escort Guard Seo Wu. Noticing it in a single glance.
Guess I can’t hide it.
“Actually, something happened inside. It’s not really something to talk about out here, so let’s discuss it back at our quarters.”
“…Understood.”
With that, we returned to our temporary quarters.
“Deputy Merchant Lord, you’ve returned?”
“You’ve worked hard, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
The people from the Virtuous Wind Department staying at the temporary quarters greeted me.
“Has everyone been doing well while I was gone?”
“Of course.”
Their faces all looked full and shiny as they answered.
Lucky them. I’d just come back half-dead from running the Emperor’s errand.
Well, what can I do? That’s just my lot in life.
“Alright, get back to your work.”
“Yes.”
I went into my room, and Palgap came out to greet me.
“Young master, I’ve already drawn a bath with warm water.”
“Ah, thanks.”
“Huh?!”
Then Palgap stared at me and jumped in surprise.
“Why are your clothes in that state? Did you trip and fall in the Imperial Palace courtyard or something?”
“Ugh, there’s a whole story behind this again.”
Since Escort Guard Seo Wu was here too, it would be easier to just explain everything now.
“On the way back after handing over those Unorthodox Sect warriors, I got a really bad feeling. So…”
I explained the whole story from start to finish.
“Anyway, I subdued them without incident and handed them over to the Embroidered Guard.”
After I finished, Escort Guard Seo Wu spoke up.
“The saying that you must never drop your guard until the very end truly wasn’t wrong.”
“That’s true.”
After washing up in the warm water Palgap had prepared, I sat down in front of the desk.
When I headed for Gansu, I hadn’t known how things would turn out, so I hadn’t been able to contact Father.
It had been an urgent situation, too.
But now that I’d come back safely, I needed to explain everything to Father and let him know I was fine.
And I had to report what the Emperor had given me as well.
I took out brush and paper and wrote a long letter about everything that had happened.
“Geumryeong, come on out.”
At my words, Geumryeong poked out from my sleeve. There was something clamped in its mouth.
Huh? That’s a silver tael.
“Where’d you get that silver tael?”
In response, Geumryeong hopped lightly onto the desk and scurried back and forth, trying to explain.
“Hmm, so… back at the palace just now? Ah…”
Earlier at the palace, I’d thrown a silver tael to stop an Imperial Guard who was about to swing a sword at the people I was handing over.
I’d completely forgotten to pick it back up, and Geumryeong had gone and retrieved it for me.
Ha! What a clever little thing.
“You can eat that, Geumryeong.”
At my words, Geumryeong’s eyes sparkled brightly.
But I spotted something dark on it and held out my hand.
“Let me see it for a second?”
Geumryeong obediently dropped the silver tael into my palm, and I wiped it clean with a handkerchief.
“Look, it’s covered in dirt. That’s dirty, dirty!”
“Kui!”
“Alright, eat up.”
Geumryeong flicked its tongue out and swallowed the silver tael.
“And can you run an errand for me? I need this letter delivered to Father.”
“Kui! Kui!”
Maybe because it had just eaten silver, Geumryeong happily nodded.
I tied the letter to Geumryeong’s tail, and it shot out through the window like an arrow.
And then I started working through the mountain of tasks that had piled up.
As expected, there was a ridiculous amount of work waiting for me, and to get all of it done…
I’d probably have to cut my sleep for about ten days.
.
.
.
The next morning.
When I opened my eyes, I was sprawled over my desk.
“Ugh…”
My whole body felt stiff and sore.
When did I even fall asleep?
Judging by how I felt, it was probably sometime around three to five in the morning.
So I guess I managed maybe an hour or two of sleep.
I got up, changed my clothes, and stepped out into the courtyard. No matter how tired I was, I couldn’t skip my daily training.
“Young master, you should sleep a little more.”
Palgap said that, and I answered with a yawn.
“If I skip training, Master will give me hell.”
As I headed down into the yard, the other Escort Guards greeted me good morning.
“Please stand guard for me.”
“Understood.”
I sat on a rock in the courtyard and began circulating my Qi.
Whether it was because the Qi I gathered through the breathing technique was cold yin Qi, or because of the unique nature of the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art, energy flowed through my body and my mind cleared right up.
When I finished and opened my eyes, Geumryeong was sitting in front of me.
“You got back fast.”
I fed Geumryeong a silver tael, then untied the letter hanging from its tail and unfolded it.
“…”
It was a much longer letter than the one I’d sent.
Father already knew the rough situation. It seemed Branch Chief Eun from the Beijing branch had sent word ahead.
[What a turbulent spring you’ve had. Still, I’m glad to hear you’ve come back safely.]
Yes, Father.
It really has been a hectic spring.
Reading the letter that began with his worries for me, I couldn’t help but smile.
[It truly gladdens me that His Majesty the Emperor is making good use of you. Yes, that’s a good thing. It should be a good thing. It will be a good thing. Yes.]
I could feel the heart behind the words – the part of him that wanted to write, “I hate that Emperor for working you to the bone,” but couldn’t bring himself to put it down.
He also wrote about the people staying at the main house of the Eunhae Merchant Group and how the merchant group itself was doing.
Lastly, he mentioned the “payment” I’d received from the Emperor.
[What you’ve brought back will obviously be of great use in running the Beijing branch. You’ve worked hard.]
I carefully folded the letter.
Reading Father’s words made me feel like I was wrapped up in a warm blanket.
I should start the day full of energy.
After breakfast, I summoned Branch Chief Eun.
“Have you returned safely?”
“Yes, I have.”
“How were the sights in Guangdong?”
Even now, Branch Chief Eun still thought I’d been to Guangdong.
“They were wonderful. By the way, how many people knew I was supposedly going to Guangdong?”
“Quite a few. I had to explain why you were away.”
“I see.”
Good thing I’d said I was going to Guangdong. Otherwise, I would’ve been in for hell right from the start.
“Anyway, is there any problem with the construction of the Beijing branch? I’ve been away on business for quite a while, so I called you because I was curious about the situation.”
“Our finances are ample, and we have many skilled workers, so there are no major issues, but…”
“So there is a problem.”
Branch Chief Eun let out a sigh and answered.
“Yes. The people above keep hinting they want this.”
When I saw Branch Chief Eun rub thumb and forefinger together, I let out a short laugh.
“You know how it is. You have to let them lick a little grease off the pot or they’ll make your life difficult.”
I’d expected as much.
In the Empire, if you built a structure, you had to report it to the authorities.
It didn’t apply to every building – only to tile-roofed structures above a certain size.
Because once a building passed a certain size, the state collected a quarterly “house tax” on it.
Anyway, officials would come out from the bureau, and only if they decided the building was sturdy and free of defects could you move in or use it for anything.
The infuriating part was that even if there wasn’t a single flaw, if the officials weren’t satisfied, they sometimes simply refused to conduct the completion inspection at all.
They’d just keep postponing it over and over.
On the other hand, if you stuffed them full of food and gifts, they’d hand over a completion certificate without even doing a proper inspection.
In extreme cases, people supposedly shaved off half the construction budget to bribe the officials and built the place with whatever was left.
So the civil officials in each province and in Beijing were a lot richer than you might think.
But I knew what was waiting for them in the future.
About half a year from now, houses in Beijing suddenly start collapsing.
Not just one or two, but quite a few of them.
The Emperor orders an investigation into why perfectly normal homes are falling down, and they conclude the foundations were never properly laid.
Naturally, that raises the question of why the foundations weren’t solid, and how the buildings still passed inspection.
And His Majesty is not the sort to just sit back and let that slide.
The price of ignoring the warnings about bribes was high.
In the end, they not only cough up everything they’d taken, they get dragged away and put through all kinds of misery.
The ones who’d paid the bribes don’t get off easy either.
But that’s something that will happen about six months from now.
The construction of the Beijing branch would be finished before then, and we had to pass inspection before that happened.
But if we waited until then, we’d have a brand-new building we couldn’t use, and that would be maddening.
If we fed them bribes, we’d be caught up in the mess with them.
But I had the scroll the Emperor had given me.
“Branch Chief Eun.”
“Yes.”
“Ignore those demands completely. If any trouble comes up, I’ll take care of it.”
No, His Majesty the Emperor will take care of it for me.
.
.
.
That afternoon.
An Eunuch sent by the Emperor visited my residence.
“Welcome.”
I led him to the reception room, and Palgap brought out refreshments.
“Please, help yourself.”
“Thank you.”
After we chatted over tea and snacks for a little while, the Eunuch finally got to the point.
“First, this is from His Majesty the Emperor.”
He held out an envelope to me.
“May I open it?”
“Of course.”
I opened the envelope. A grin almost spread across my face, but I quickly reined it in.
Inside was a banknote for a huge sum.
“Please check that the amount matches what Young Master Eun requested.”
I examined the note.
It covered not only the amount I’d asked for, but even the cost of the clothes I’d torn yesterday – calculated so precisely it almost gave me goosebumps.
“Oh, and this is something His Majesty is giving you personally.”
“Yes?”
He held out a box, and I opened it.
Inside was an elixir pill.
“It’s a rare pill that’s excellent for healing internal injuries.”
“Why is he giving me this?”
“His Majesty heard that you used a precious elixir on the Embroidered Guard. Thanks to that, they were able to keep wielding their swords, and this is His Majesty’s reward.”
I understood the situation.
In other words, the Emperor believed I’d used my own elixir on the Embroidered Guards and lied that it was just plain purified water so they wouldn’t feel burdened.
When actually… that had been Geumryeong’s spit.
–TL Notes–
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