I tilted my head at that sight.
Unlike other accessories, you usually only wear one necklace around your neck, not more than that.
And even if it’s a present, don’t people usually just buy one?
Maybe he plans to give one not only to Aunt but also to Cousin Seon–mi?
Well, that’s possible.
She’s living away from Beijing right now, following her husband to another region, but it’s not like she never comes back.
Since no one knows when Seon–mi will visit next, he might be buying it now while he has the chance.
Thinking that, I turned to Lady Seohyang and spoke.
“Is there anything here that catches your eye?”
“Sorry?”
“You don’t even have a single decent accessory. If the Commissioner finds out later, he’ll scold me for neglecting you.”
“No way. He’s not that kind of person.”
He is.
The Commissioner is absolutely the type to do exactly that.
And besides, he paid quite generously under the name of protection fees.
I looked over the accessories, picked up a coral hair ornament, and held it up to her hair.
“Hmm, it suits you really well.”
I grinned and added,
“If nothing else really grabs you, how about this one?”
“…I like it.”
Lady Seohyang nodded, her face flushing red.
Seeing her like it so much her face turned red, I felt pretty glad I’d decided to buy it for her.
Two days later.
I visited Aunt’s house together with Lady Seohyang.
“Oh my! Come in!”
Aunt came out alone to greet us warmly.
“Uncle must be really busy.”
“Someone happened to visit just a little while ago. And Seon–il is still at work.”
“I see. Seems we picked the busiest time to drop by.”
“Don’t worry about that. Hurry on in.”
We headed to the reception room.
And then I noticed the necklace hanging around Aunt’s neck; it was definitely one of the ones Cousin Seon-il had bought before.
Pretending not to know, I asked her,
“I don’t think I’ve seen that necklace before. Did someone give it to you as a gift?”
“Oh my, you recognized it?”
Aunt laughed as she replied.
“Seon–il gave it to me this morning. Isn’t it lovely?”
“Yes, it looks great on you.”
Bringing Lady Seohyang along for Aunt today had been the right decision.
The two of them really seemed to hit it off, chatting away and enjoying themselves.
Thanks to that, I didn’t have to rack my brains over what to say, which suited me just fine.
With guests who aren’t family, man or woman, I can talk to anyone without a problem, but for some reason, whenever it’s family, I always end up overthinking what to say.
It’s probably because I can’t bring myself to act anything but honest in front of family.
“Aunt, I’m sorry, but I think we should be going now.”
“Alright. I must’ve kept you too long. Thank you for coming all this way to celebrate my birthday when you’re so busy.”
“Of course I should celebrate it with you.”
As we left Aunt’s house and were on our way back, Lady Seohyang spoke up.
“She seems like a really good person.”
“Huh?”
“I could see how considerate she was of me while we were talking.”
I nodded.
“Yeah, Aunt really is a wonderful person.”
Yet she only has one real worry.
That Cousin Seon-il refuses to get married.
Come to think of it, in my previous life I also stayed unmarried right up until I died.
Makes me wonder what the real reason is.
.
.
.
A few days passed.
While I was handling paperwork in my office, Palgap came in.
“Young Master.”
“What is it?”
“Someone’s here from the Imperial Palace.”
If it were someone I already knew, Palgap would’ve told me who it was right away, so the fact that he didn’t probably meant it was someone I’d never met.
That was enough for me to guess what this was about.
They must’ve sent someone to pick which merchant groups would be allowed to trade with foreign nations.
I turned to Lady Seohyang and said.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
Since Lady Seohyang was my Deputy, she naturally had to accompany me on business matters like this.
Because there was always a chance someone might recognize her face, she always put on a veil whenever she had to meet other people.
She took the veil hanging on the wall, slipped it on, and followed after me.
We went to the reception room and greeted the official who was waiting there with tea.
“My apologies for being late. This humble merchant is Eun Seo–ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“I’m in charge of the Horse Section in the Ministry of Rites.”
So he’s around the junior eighth rank, huh?
I almost laughed at how openly he talked down to me, even though he’d only just started his career as a low–rank official.
He even looked younger than me.
Yeah, this is the kind of treatment merchants get in reality.
It was exactly this that annoyed Uncle so much he made Cousin Seon-il study for the exams.
Running a merchant group in Beijing of all places, he must’ve seen more than his share of stinging humiliation.
But after Cousin Seon-il took first place in the exams and entered office, there weren’t many officials who dared talk down to Uncle anymore.
I mean, how could a fellow official look down on another official’s father?
Guess that’s why people say if you’re resentful, then climb your way up.
I spoke to the official.
“So, what brings you all the way here?”
“On the fifteenth of this month, you’re to gather at the Imperial Palace. There, they’ll choose who’ll be entrusted with this round of foreign trade.”
“I see. Understood.”
That was clearly all the business he had, yet he didn’t look like he had any intention of getting up.
“You should consider yourself lucky that I’m the one who came to deliver this news.”
Excuse me, but I’m fairly certain I’m not someone you should be addressing so familiarly.
“See, I happen to know quite a bit about how they’re going to pick the traders this time.”
Huh? What’s he going on about now?
“Aren’t you curious? The information I have could decide whether you pass or fail.”
Don’t tell me this is…
“Are you asking me for oil money right now?”
Oil money.
In other words, a bribe.
“Oil money? How can you put it so crudely? Tsk tsk, as expected of a lowly merchant, you really lack refinement.”
Apparently unable to endure the rude remark, Escort Guard Seo Wu stepped forward, still trying to be polite.
“Please mind your words.”
“And who are you to butt into this conversation?”
He frowned and snapped irritably.
Phew, this bastard’s really asking for it.
Keeping my expression in check, I spoke to Escort Guard Seo Wu.
“Apologize.”
“…My apologies.”
Then I politely asked the official,
“By the way, this humble merchant hasn’t yet learned Your Excellency’s honorable name. Would you be willing to tell me?”
“Hmph, very well. I am Son Se–gil.”
“So you’re Lord Son. But tell me, my lord, do you usually buy things without even looking them over first?”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You’re a gentleman, so I’m sure you don’t haggle, but I’m a merchant. I examine the goods, put a price on them, and only then do I buy or sell. When you ask me for oil money, aren’t you basically saying you want to sell me information?”
“As expected of a lowly merchant, that’s the only way your mind works. Well, you can think of it that way if you like.”
“In that case, I need to know what kind of information it is before I can pay you an appropriate price, don’t I?”
“And what’s stopping you from hearing the information first and then beating down the price? That’s exactly why people call merchants lowborn.”
“How could I possibly do something like that to you, my lord? Let’s do this instead. As a starting amount…”
I set ten Silver Taels down on the low table.
“We’ll start from here.”
Ten Silver Taels was by no means a small amount for a low–rank official.
It was enough to buy a small house.
Son Se–gil’s eyes gleamed with greed as he stared at the silver.
“Hem hem, well then. I’ll tell you. The most important thing in selecting traders this time is how well they can conduct trade without damaging the empire’s dignity.”
“I see. And?”
I added another five Silver Taels to the pile.
“His Majesty the Emperor and the Ministers of each department will personally oversee the selection.”
At that, I took back three Taels.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Things that obvious don’t count as information.”
“Damn it!”
Before I knew it, the initiative in this conversation had completely shifted to me.
To seize control in deals like this, you have to pin down exactly what the other person wants.
And if that desire happens to be money, it’s easy as eating porridge to poke at it and take the lead.
Son Se–gil wrung out everything he knew in hopes of squeezing out more silver, but in the end he only managed to gain two more Taels.
The only thing he actually knew for sure was that first point about what they considered most important.
Honestly, even that wasn’t particularly valuable. Isn’t it obvious they’d care about the empire’s dignity?
That’s precisely why the empire hires merchants instead of handling the trade directly.
Of course, I’d never expected him to have any truly useful information to begin with.
How much could a junior eighth–rank pencil–pusher really know?
He’d just overheard something by chance and tried to fish for some money with it.
And so Son Se–gil walked out of the Beijing branch grinning from ear to ear, having gotten away with fourteen Silver Taels.
“Palgap.”
“Yes, Young Master, you called?”
“Sprinkle some salt in front of the main gate… no, salt’s a waste. Just throw some salt water out there.”
“Yes, I’ll do that right away!”
Watching Palgap go sprinkle salt water at the front gate, I spoke to Escort Guard Seo Wu.
“Try not to dwell too much on what happened earlier.”
“I’m fine. I just have a hard time watching my lord suffer that kind of insult.”
“This kind of thing is… almost cute, really.”
Yeah, it really is just the cute level.
“I’m starting to feel sorry for that man.”
Lady Seohyang, standing beside me, spoke.
“Huh?”
At my puzzled look, she laughed and said,
“It’s obvious you’re not going to just let him off.”
Before I realized it, Lady Seohyang had come to understand me far too well.
Instead of answering, I just let out a quiet chuckle.
I’d already been wondering what matter I should bring up in my next report to His Majesty, so this worked out nicely.
I’ll make sure he gets shaken down to the last coin.
.
.
.
Before long, the fifteenth had arrived.
Just as I’d been notified in advance, I made my way to the Imperial Palace.
In the meantime, Father had delegated full authority over this matter to me.
There simply wasn’t enough time to report every little thing and wait for his approval.
The reason the application period had been so short this time was that there weren’t many merchant groups suited to this announcement in the first place.
If they were picking something like silk–supply merchant groups like before, they would’ve given at least a full month.
After I told the palace guards at the entrance why I was there and waited a bit, an Eunuch came over to us.
“Please, follow me.”
My party and I followed him into the palace. Not that ‘party’ meant much — it was just two people: Beijing Branch Chief Eun Cheong–in and Deputy Yeo Chang–ui.
Judging by the building we were headed toward, it seemed to be the Ministry of Rites.
Well, foreign trade was under the Ministry of Rites’ authority. That was why the official who’d come to tell me to come today had been from the Ministry of Rites, too.
“Please wait here.”
“Alright.”
When we opened the door to the room the Eunuch indicated and went inside, there were already people from two merchant groups waiting.
One side looked to be men a little older than me.
And on the other side was someone I knew.
I walked over and greeted him warmly.
“I’m glad we could meet like this.”
“Oh! You must be Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo–ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group!”
He was Deputy Merchant Lord Ji Seok–mun of the Baekbuik Merchant Group.
The Baekbuik Merchant Group owned several merchant ships and mainly traded with other countries.
So while the group itself wasn’t huge, it still proudly ranked among the Hundred Great Merchant Groups Under the Heaven.
“And this is Deputy Merchant Lord Song Un of the Changhae Merchant Group.”
“Ah! It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo–ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“I’m Deputy Merchant Lord Song Un of the Changhae Merchant Group.”
After we exchanged greetings, Deputy Merchant Lord Ji Seok–mun spoke, sounding a bit surprised.
“But the Eunhae Merchant Group getting into foreign trade? More importantly, did you even have ships?”
At his question, I nodded.
“Some time ago, I decided to start looking outward and acquired a ship.”
“Wow. Even though you’re already growing so fast, you’re not content to rest there and you’re still pushing yourself. Impressive.”
“If you get complacent, you start falling behind. By the way, I don’t think I saw you at the gathering in Shandong last time…”
“Ah, right.”
Deputy Merchant Lord Ji Seok–mun nodded.
“Unfortunately, I was away on a long trading trip then, so I couldn’t attend. I was out toward the Maraeseo Kingdom.”
The Maraeseo Kingdom?
Even from the empire, it was a country quite far away.
Much farther than Yong Eung–wan’s Great Yue Kingdom.
“Sounds like you were given a pretty heavy responsibility.”
“I brought the Princess of the Maraeseo Kingdom and her envoys over.”
“Ah…”
That had caused quite a stir in Beijing.
The Maraeseo Kingdom had sent their princess, hoping to form a marriage alliance with the imperial family.
The problem was that the princess was considered extremely ugly.
So in the end, she never formed a tie with the imperial house and returned home.
While I was thinking about that, the door to our room opened and representatives from other merchant groups walked in.
In total, people from six merchant groups gathered, and the last official to enter looked us over and said,
“All six merchant groups that submitted applications are here. I’ll tell you what you need to prepare.”
Someone raised a question then.
“Um, is there no screening process?”
“There’s no screening. Every merchant group gathered here will be entrusted with an important task for the Imperial Palace.”
Figures.
When they’re desperate for even a single merchant group with ships, there’s no way they’d run some strict selection.
If I’d trusted Assistant Official Son Se–gil’s words like iron, I’d be grinding my teeth right now, feeling swindled.
Even though he’d only fed me half–baked information, that doesn’t mean I should forgive him.
.
.
.
After the meeting with the officials ended, I was walking through the palace, pondering how best to deal with Assistant Official Son Se–gil, when I passed by a group of people.
A woman in blatantly foreign dress and…
“Huh?”
I stopped in my tracks without thinking.
The necklace that woman had just been wearing around her neck…
I’m pretty sure it was one of the necklaces Cousin Seon-il bought.
–TL Notes–
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