The Changhae Merchant Group’s ship – no, the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s ship – had arrived.
Supervisor Ji Taek-mun, dispatched from the Baekcheon Merchant Group, beamed as he looked at the ship.
“That ship is coming in loaded with money, huh?”
He rubbed his hands together.
His ultimate goal was to catch Namgoong Gang’s eye and become the top supervisor.
This trade deal was his stepping stone toward that.
So how could that ship not look absolutely lovable to him?
Right then.
“Supervisor.”
“What is it?”
“I heard there’s a banquet today. It’s being hosted by the Eunhae Merchant Group, and an order came down that everyone is to attend.”
“Then of course we’re going.”
However, he wasn’t the only one invited there. Song Un, who had been holed up in his room and never showing his face, was invited as well.
“And what brings you here?”
“I was invited as well.”
“Well then…”
Ji Taek-mun let out a snort of a laugh and said,
“I guess they must’ve thought you looked really pitiful.”
“Yeah… I guess I did.”
At that response, Ji Taek-mun tilted his head. Unlike usual, Song Un didn’t snap back and even agreed with what he said.
So he laughed at him inwardly.
‘So he’s finally faced reality and learned to behave!’
With that, they headed into a restaurant near the Provincial Commander’s Office. Ever since the ban on alcohol had been imposed, the place had been quiet as a grave.
But today, the place was bustling for the first time in a while.
That was because Eun Seo-ho had invited a great many people to today’s banquet.
So the proprietor of the restaurant, not to mention all the servers, greeted the guests with big welcoming smiles.
“Welcome. Where are you from?”
“The Changhae Merchant Group.”
Since he was still officially seconded to the Changhae Merchant Group, Ji Taek-mun answered that way.
“Ah, please come this way.”
“Isn’t that the main seat over there?”
“Aren’t you merchants the stars of today’s banquet? That’s why the main seats are reserved for you.”
The words ‘main seats’ put Ji Taek-mun in an even better mood.
Even if he was a supervisor of the Baekcheon Merchant Group under the Murim Alliance, he was still just a merchant.
So at gatherings with government officials like this, he’d never even dreamed of sitting in the main seats – yet here he was being given one!
He was moved by the whole situation.
“Please, sit here.”
Across from the seat he’d been guided to sat Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group.
“Welcome.”
“Yes, good to see you. I hear you’re the one hosting this banquet?”
“Yes. With the upcoming trade in mind, I wanted everyone to build some rapport. I sincerely hope this turns into a good banquet for you all.”
I grinned.
Tonight’s banquet was going to be unforgettable.
I glanced at Deputy Merchant Lord Song sitting beside Supervisor Ji Taek-mun.
According to Escort Guard Jin Yu, who’d been watching him all this time, he hadn’t breathed a word about the ledger to anyone.
If he’s got that much backbone and patience, he’s someone I can trust and work with from here on out.
Just then, the Provincial Commander entered the banquet hall and took the top seat.
“Provincial Commander, would you say a few words for today’s banquet?”
At my words, he nodded.
“All of you should honor His Majesty the Emperor’s will, cast aside your personal greed, and work hard for this empire.”
It sounded like a simple bit of well–wishing, but there was a strong warning tucked inside.
It meant merchants were to abandon their own greed and work for the country.
Not bad.
I knew a fair bit about this man.
Personally, I liked the kind of official he was.
He drew a strict line between public duty and private matters, yet still had a decent amount of flexibility.
That’s one reason I’d invited him here like this.
In other words, he was going to serve as the judge for what would unfold today. Being a high official of the Second Rank was more than enough for that.
“Now then, raise your cups.”
At his words, everyone began tilting their teacups.
If we could drink, they’d be wine cups, but the ban on alcohol still hadn’t been lifted.
In that moment, I gave a small signal with my eyes to Deputy Merchant Lord Song Un seated across from me.
He swallowed hard, then rose to his feet.
“Provincial Commander, sir. I am Song Un, Deputy Merchant Lord of the Changhae Merchant Group. If I may be so bold, could I say a few words using this occasion?”
At his actions, Supervisor Ji Taek-mun’s face changed. He was anxious because he had no idea what Song Un might do.
“Go ahead and speak.”
“The truth is, our Changhae Merchant Group is currently under the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s control. Officially, it’s because we failed to repay our debt.”
“And?”
“But that isn’t the truth. Our Changhae Merchant Group clearly repaid the debt. However, the Baekcheon Merchant Group claims that Mo Cheong, who took the money from us, ran away, so they know nothing about it, and used that as an excuse to… swallow our Changhae Merchant Group whole. I beg you to clear up this injustice.”
At that, Supervisor Ji Taek-mun, his face gone pale, jumped to his feet and shouted.
“Provincial Commander, sir, please hear our side as well. We absolutely did not receive that money. Absorbing the Changhae Merchant Group was naturally our Baekcheon Merchant Group’s rightful claim. And with Mo Cheong running off, our group also suffered considerable losses.”
“Enough!”
The Provincial Commander raised a hand and spoke.
In an instant, the whole hall fell silent.
“Your situation is unfortunate, but I don’t have the authority to resolve this for you.”
Just then.
“Provincial Commander, sir, I know a little about that matter.”
Right on cue, the County Magistrate of Cheongdo, who’d been sitting at one end of the long table where I was, rose to his feet.
“Ah, aren’t you the County Magistrate of Cheongdo?”
“Yes, that’s right, Provincial Commander.”
“You said you know about this matter?”
“Yes.”
He sneaked a glance at me, then continued speaking.
“The person in charge of the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s debt was Debt Manager Cheong. And he came to see me.”
He went on.
“It seemed he’d chosen me as a witness for the repayment. As proof that the Baekcheon Merchant Group received money from the Changhae Merchant Group, I signed and sealed the ledger.”
“What are you talking about? There’s no way such a ledger…”
But Supervisor Ji Taek-mun couldn’t finish his sentence.
County Magistrate of Cheongdo smoothly pulled a ledger from his sleeve.
“This is that ledger.”
“…!”
It was the ledger I’d quietly slipped to him when he arrived at the banquet earlier.
At the sight of it, Supervisor Ji Taek-mun’s eyes shook violently.
“Back then, he left this ledger with me. Since it was clear he’d come back looking for it, I kept it safe.”
At his words, the Provincial Commander held out his hand.
“Give me that ledger.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Provincial Commander took the ledger from the County Magistrate and examined it.
“Hmm, it’s clearly written here. In the Third Month, the Baekcheon Merchant Group received money from the Changhae Merchant Group, and it was the final repayment. It even says ‘repayment completed’ here. And here’s the County Magistrate’s seal as well.”
I gently added,
“If it’s written in the ledger and even bears Lord County Magistrate’s seal, I think it’s fair to say the repayment is complete.”
“I think so as well.”
Supervisor Ji Taek-mun protested desperately.
“B–but, that money never actually reached our Baekcheon Merchant Group.”
The Provincial Commander didn’t respond to that, instead studying the ledger more closely, then tilting his head.
“This is quite strange. Looking at this ledger, for every debt repayment up until now, he went to the County Magistrate and had it signed and sealed as a kind of notarization. That’s an incredibly bothersome way to do things.”
He looked around at those nearby and asked,
“If he’d planned to run off, why would he bother going to the County Magistrate to get it signed? And for a mere fifty silver taels? Does it make any sense that a debt manager of the Baekcheon Merchant Group, who handles huge sums of money, would flee over something this small?”
At those words, everyone around nodded.
Everyone except Supervisor Ji Taek-mun.
“You don’t agree?”
At that question, even Supervisor Ji Taek-mun reluctantly nodded.
“T–that’s true, but it could have been a carefully crafted ploy to throw up a smokescreen, or maybe a disguise, and…”
Supervisor Ji Taek-mun babbled incoherently, cold sweat pouring down his face.
In response, the Provincial Commander shook his head and set the ledger he was holding down on the table.
Just then, as the ledger shifted, something stuck out from it.
A white envelope.
“Hm?”
The Provincial Commander picked up the envelope and asked,
“County Magistrate, do you know anything about this envelope?”
“I don’t really know either. It was tucked inside from the start, but I felt I couldn’t open it without the owner’s permission, so I never even looked at it.”
“Your name is written on it, though.”
“What?”
“Read it.”
At that, County Magistrate took the envelope and pulled out the paper inside.
“It seems to be a letter addressed to me.”
He read the letter, then his expression twisted with pity.
“Ah… so that’s why his face looked so dark back then…”
He held the letter out to the Provincial Commander.
“I believe you should be the one to read this, sir.”
The Provincial Commander took it, read through it, and his expression hardened.
He handed it back to County Magistrate and said,
“Read it aloud.”
“Yes.”
County Magistrate began to read the contents of the letter.
[If you’re reading this letter, County Magistrate, it probably means I’m no longer in this world.
By now, the Baekcheon Merchant Group will have carried out their plan to seize the Changhae Merchant Group by getting rid of me.
They’ll kill me and then claim I ran away. Then they’ll say the final debt wasn’t repaid, and the Changhae Merchant Group will pass into the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s hands.
But the Changhae Merchant Group definitely repaid that final debt.
The Baekcheon Merchant Group will insist the repayment is invalid because the money never reached their group.
However, I have indeed deposited that money in Geumsan’s Money House under the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s name.
If things go as I expect and the Baekcheon Merchant Group takes over the Changhae Merchant Group, I beg you to use this ledger to clear their injustice.
You’ll probably ask why, when I foresaw all this, I still walked straight into the jaws of death.
As someone who cherishes the Baekcheon Merchant Group, I resolved to die together with it.
If I don’t die, someone else will be sacrificed.
I can’t bear to see the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s blade turn toward another, so I’m doing this.
Please forgive this shameless little merchant.
Mo Cheong, Debt Manager of the Baekcheon Merchant Group.]
The entire hall went silent.
“This is…”
The Provincial Commander turned his head to look at Supervisor Ji Taek-mun.
“Is this true?”
“Th–this humble merchant knows nothing about it.”
“Are you telling me the Baekcheon Merchant Group has stooped to doing the kind of vile things a low–class den like Bandit Stronghold do, preying on commoners alongside street riffraff?”
“Th–that’s not true!”
“How is it not true? You can still say that after reading Debt Manager Cheong’s final letter?”
His tone was as sharp and cold as a blade of frost.
Supervisor Ji Taek-mun’s mind was probably going completely blank right now.
I smirked.
That ledger originally didn’t contain any final letter from Debt Manager Cheong. I’d slipped in the letter he’d written later.
First, it was to expose the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s crimes.
And second, it was for Debt Manager Cheong’s safety.
If it got out that he was still alive, his life would be in danger again.
That’s why I used this method – to make everyone believe he was dead.
After thinking for a moment, the Provincial Commander spoke.
“First, we need to confirm whether the money was received. Is anyone outside?”
“Yes, sir! You called?”
Soon, the Provincial Commander’s deputy stepped inside.
“Go to Geumsan’s Money House immediately and check whether fifty silver taels came in during the Third Month.”
“Yes, sir!”
After giving the order, the Provincial Commander looked at me and said,
“Hm, I’m sorry that a pleasant banquet has turned out like this.”
“It’s truly shameful that things turned out this way because of me.”
Deputy Merchant Lord Song also apologized to me. I shook my head.
“Not at all. We can always pick another day for a banquet. More importantly, I’d like to see your injustice cleared.”
The Provincial Commander looked around the hall and declared,
“With matters turning out like this, we can’t go on enjoying the banquet. Today’s banquet ends here. You may all return.”
However, not a single person left their seat.
Everyone was too curious to see how this would end.
Not long after, the deputy came running back.
“Sir! I’ve returned from the money house!”
As far as I knew, Geumsan’s Money House used well–trained courier hawks, so they could exchange information even faster than with carrier pigeons.
“Good. What did you find?”
“They confirmed that in the Third Month, Debt Manager Cheong deposited the money at Geumsan’s Money House under the Baekcheon Merchant Group’s name.”
“Is that so?”
At those words, Supervisor Ji Taek-mun’s face went ashen, while Deputy Merchant Lord Song Un’s face flushed red.
He was holding back the surge of emotion from his gratitude.
“However… there’s something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“Yes. They said the Baekcheon Merchant Group clearly verified it.”
At the deputy’s report, the Provincial Commander’s brows furrowed.
Meanwhile, I smiled inwardly.
Well now…
This was a big catch I hadn’t even seen coming.
“It seems Debt Manager Cheong’s letter was telling the truth after all.”
At the Provincial Commander’s words, Supervisor Ji Taek-mun threw himself flat on the floor and said,
“Th–this humble merchant knows nothing. I only did as those above me ordered.”
“Is that so?”
He gathered his thoughts for a moment, then spoke.
“In light of all this evidence, it’s perfectly clear that the Changhae Merchant Group has been wronged. Therefore, the Baekcheon Merchant Group must return the Changhae Merchant Group to its original state.”
“…Ugh!”
He swallowed a groan and answered,
“I will report this to our main branch.”
The Provincial Commander continued,
“Furthermore, this is clearly a crime of fraud. The matter must be thoroughly brought to light.”
There was another reason I’d invited the Provincial Commander here.
If the case were simply handed over to Henan’s Censorate Inspector, the Baekcheon Merchant Group could very well smooth everything over by throwing a huge sum of money at it.
But this Provincial Commander was a straightforward, hot–blooded sort.
And his family name was Ak – he was from the Shandong’s Ak Clan, one of the noble clans belonging to the Murim Alliance.
He grinned and said,
“I’ll have to go personally to the Murim Alliance and lodge a complaint about this.”
In other words, this was no longer something the Baekcheon Merchant Group could handle on their own level.
Merchant Lord Namgoong Gang was going to get ripped apart by the Murim Alliance bigwigs again.
–TL Notes–
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